When Worlds Collide
by sunmoonwriter89
Summary: A young American girl wakes to find herself in a room with six Harry Potter characters who turn out to be shockingly real. As she learns more about the world of magic, she slowly realizes that she must play a pivotal part in the war between good and evil.
1. Chapter 1

_Alright, so this is my first story, so be gentle with me. I'll try to upload more chapters as quickly as possible, and I already know how this story ends._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters. They're all from J.K. Rowling's genius imagination. **_

Lights. All around me. Bright lights and figures bustling about, mumbling words in low voices. I squint, opening my eyes into small slits, but even after bracing myself for the light, it burns my retinas and I raise my arms to shield myself. When I move there's a sharp pain in my shoulders and I gasp, dimly aware that the voices cease and the room suddenly goes still. As I become accustomed to the light I open my eyes wider, careful to keep from moving; I don't want to find out by trial and error if I have any more injuries.

Once I can see, I gasp again, aware that there are six pairs of eyes on me, emotions ranging from worried, surprised, stoic, angry, happy. But it's not their eyes that capture me. It's their faces. I know every person in the room, despite the fact that I haven't met one of them in my life.

"Where am I?" I mumble, irritated to find my throat scratchy and dry.

"In a safe place," one answers. His thick British accent confirms my suspicions and my eyes widen like saucers.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Remus Lupin."

He pauses, allowing me to gasp again as a wave of dizziness washes over me. _This can't be real. This isn't real. I'm dreaming. I've hit my head really really hard, and I'm dreaming. _

"I can assure you, Katarina, that you are not dreaming." The person is calm, with a somber yet excited tone. Almost as if he's happy to see me… I turn my head toward the person behind the voice to see Albus Dumbledore smiling at me.

"Oh my god." The fact that I've just spoken my thought is irrelevant as I internally label the other four people in the room: Severus Snape, Sirius Black, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"How—how did I end up here?" I ask. I'm not complaining. I feel like I just got every Christmas present I'd ever want for the rest of my life, but I'm immensely confused. I'm not supposed to be in London. I'm supposed to be in the United States, packing up for my first year of college.

Dumbledore's brow furrows as his smile melts slowly from his face, blue eyes twinkling. "You don't remember." It's not a question, but I search my memory anyways.

The last thing I remember is sitting in the car with a few of my friends, driving home from a concert. My memory goes fuzzy for a moment before I grip the edge of the table I'm laying on, knuckles white.

Clamping my eyes shut against the pain, I feel the rest of my face scrunch as I will myself not to burst into tears. But it's very hard to stay calm, because now, now I remember.

**_Reviews, please!!! _**


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the support so far you guys! This chapter is a lot longer than the first, and it doesn't have too much of the Harry Potter goodness, but bear with me- it'll go back once we know how Kat ended up there. Also, the tense switched, but I'll go back to present tense in the next chapter. I figure since this is a memory it's ok to switch tenses for a while... _

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Not the books, not the movies, or the action figures. Not the wizards or the goblins or the dementors. Not even the wonderful whomping willow. J.K. Rowling, however, does. And as a result she is filthy rich. *sighs* **_

_Oh yes, and reviews are ALWAYS appreciated :D_

"Seriously, there is no such thing as 'too loud' and claiming that there is makes you a prude," I laughed, blasting my favorite rock band as Laura sighed at me.

"You try driving home at two in the morning with rock music threatening to pop your ear drums," she muttered, gripping the steering wheel tighter. I grinned, rolling my eyes as Liz started to sing off key with the music. We were heading home from a concert, our last outing as a trio before the end of summer. It was tradition for us, doing something big together before the school year officially started, but this year was different. This year we were headed for the big league; college.

Laura had grown tense over the summer; our separation looming in the future apparently didn't mesh well with her sense of organization, or, as others called, her obsessive need for control. This was one situation she couldn't control, and as much as I loved her, Laura's patience had gone out of the window as though she didn't have enough room in her body to be preoccupied and excited at the same time.

Liz, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice what was coming. She would always be in high school, I was sure, and that was one thing I loved about her. Liz would never feel the need to grow up or be a "productive and responsible contributor to society," as our teachers wanted us to become. When Laura had pleaded with both of us to be serious during finals week, Liz had laughed in her face.

I liked to think of myself as a safe mix of my two best friends' clashing personalities. Where Liz couldn't study for an hour straight without playing video games or taking a break, I could stay glued to my math for hours until I was confident I could ace the test. Where Laura freaked out about being second in class, I was more than content with my B average; I had different priorities in life, and my teachers would just have to deal with the fact that they weren't at the top of that list. I was going to be a writer, and I was obsessed with Harry Potter, not unlike every other member of my generation… But I'd always felt a tug of sadness in my gut when I read it, like there was something more, something missing from the series I cherished so much.

I wasn't afraid of the things that terrified my friends. I wasn't afraid of tests or college or responsibility or change.

The one thing that scared me was monotony. I was afraid that I would live my whole life without adventure, without the thrill and intensity of emotions that the characters I read about endured every day. I'd once read a quote that said, "Any idiot can face a crisis. It's day-to-day life that's the real challenge."

Could I handle day-to-day life? I didn't know the answer, and every moment of not knowing made me feel like my whole life was a house of cards, ready to come tumbling down if even the slightest breeze of fate disturbed me.

"Fuck," Laura muttered, bringing me back to reality.

"What?" I asked, looking down the street to see neon-orange signs flashing "detour" in even more annoying colors. Great.

She sighed loudly, irritated that she'd had to drive both ways since neither Liz nor I had our licenses yet. "I just want to get home. I work early tomorrow."

"You've known about this concert for months!" Liz complained from the back seat.

"Yeah, but I need to save up for a laptop for school," Laura countered. I rolled my eyes slightly. We _all_ needed to save up for our first semester. Liz's parents sure didn't have the money, and my mom was too sick to work.

"I thought we were going to have a sleepover!" Liz whined, her bottom lip inflating as it always did when she wasn't getting her way; as the only girl in a family of five children, Liz was new to being told "no."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't always mess around and do nothing like _some_ people."

Liz's cheeks turned a bright red, but I spoke before she could get her own insult out. "Hey, Laura, I'm thirsty. Can we stop at that gas station?" She glared at Liz in the rearview mirror for a moment before nodding, pulling into the parking lot. Liz stormed out of the car first, trudging inside and glowering murderously at the candy bars.

"Laura," I said quietly, "She's just freaking out. We all are."

"Yes, well some of us have to be responsible—"

"I know, but for now, just let it go. Halfway through November you're going to be aching for Liz to start a bickering match with you." I regretted the words as I saw Laura's face go dangerously neutral, an expression saved only for when she was about to cry. "It's not like we're not going to become strangers in college. I promise. We'll be those three crazy old ladies who torture their husbands and grandkids with stories from fifty years ago."

"And Liz will still call me the boring one." Laura's lips were pursed in irritation, but I grinned, seeing the relief in her eyes.

"Come on. You need caffeine to get us home, woman."

Once we were inside, Laura and Liz were looking for chips and laughing like their argument had never happened. I smiled, looking around for the energy drinks. We still had two hours of driving ahead of us, and after the detour, who knew how long we'd be on the road? I grabbed one for myself, knowing that neither of my friends approved of my small addiction to the unhealthy substance.

"Hey you guys, I'll meet you in the car," I said, grabbing some money from my pockets as I set my drink down on the counter.

"I have to scan this."

I looked up in shock at the deep voice, frowning as the cashier held the can up as though proving his point. "Go ahead," I said, confused.

He watched me for a second before nodding, his brow furrowed, and scanned the can. I handed him the money and he took it, dropping my drink and mumbling a quick "sorry" before ducking down to get it.

"Kat, do you want some chips?" Liz called.

I turned to her, nodding. "Sour cream and onion, please!" When I turned back to the cashier he was holding my drink out, waiting for me to take it. _Awkward... _

"Thanks," I said, smiling politely at him.

"Have a good night." Again, the deep voice seemed strikingly familiar, and I couldn't squelch my curiosity.

"Are you from England?"

His already black eyes darkened, and he narrowed them suspiciously at me.

"No." There was finality in his tone but I still couldn't stop.

"I don't mean to pry, but did you move here from a different country?"

"Vermont." He said stiffly, ringing up both Liz's and Laura's things without hesitation. I nodded at him, smile gone, and we headed for the car.

As I popped open my energy drink I glanced back to the gas station to see it empty. The cashier was nowhere to be seen. _Weird_, I thought, taking a sip.

The effect was immediate. I doubled over in pain and fell to my knees, whimpering in the wave of nausea and dizziness that came over me. Suddenly Liz was by my side, screaming. Laura knelt beside me, a worried look on her face. I was screeching inside, voicing the liquid pain that pumped through my body, but when I opened my mouth it hurt so bad that I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe but I was breathing so hard and fast that my lungs burned. My friends were in front of me, holding me up, the only thing between the concrete and me. Laura was looking into my eyes but I glanced to the road to see the cashier staring at me with his deep black eyes. Then a crash of lightning spread through the sky and a strike of pain hit my head and spread through every nerve of my body. And then it stopped. The pain left as quickly as it had started and I gasped in surprise.

"Kat? Kat can you hear me? What's wrong?"

I blinked a few times, darkness floating at the edge of my vision, and looked up at Laura. She was holding my head as though I was about to have a seizure, while Liz sat at my side, hands covering her mouth.

"Kat? Are you alright?"

"I'm, I'm fine," I mumbled after a few tries. My body was shaking slightly as I got up, unwilling to exert itself after enduring so much pain.

"Maybe you shouldn't walk yet," Liz said, holding my arm as I sat in the car.

"Liz, honestly, I'm fine. I promise." She nodded at me, getting in the back as

Laura got in the driver's seat and watching me wearily. "What was that?" she asked quietly.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I really don't know."

She nodded, believing me, and started the car. But as I caught my last glimpse of the parking lot, I saw the remnants of my forgotten drink pool on the concrete and my gut tightened, worry consuming me.

The worry didn't go away. Not through Liz's inevitably good mood or the countless songs we went through, but I tried to convince myself that it was paranoid, that no one was out to get me, and I had not, in fact, been poisoned by an awkward guy from the U.K.

We were in a small side street about three miles from my house when I realized that I wasn't paranoid. Hazy silhouettes appeared in shadows, eyes that followed us until we turned a corner. In all the loud music, Liz wasn't paying attention, and in her fatigue, Laura didn't see. But I watched them for three blocks in stunned silence before Laura's foot jammed on the breaks.

"Holy shit!" she shrieked, a crowd of hooded figures blocking our path. _Death __eaters_, I screamed in my head. But that wasn't possible. They didn't exist past the pages I flipped through. They were fiction.

The crowd separated as a pale man made his way forward and my heart stopped in my chest; red eyes, skeletal figure… It couldn't be. No.

"Katarina!" he called, voice high and menacing. "Why don't you come out of the car so I can properly introduce myself?"

"Put the car in reverse, put the car in reverse," I chanted through clenched teeth, not daring to take my eyes off of Voldemort's form.

"I'm trying!" she hissed, shaking as she slammed her foot on the gas. Liz's eyes were wide, chest rising and falling with alarming speed. We jolted back for a few hopeful moments before I felt the car float into the air; a split second after Voldemort raised his wand.

"Well that's not good manners at all," he said, tutting. I screamed as I was ripped by an invisible force from the small vehicle, hitting the concrete as the car slammed into the street. The sickening sound of metal hitting metal met my ears and I saw the car cave in on itself, my two friends helpless and trapped.

"NO!" I cried, staggering to my feet and running towards them. Their screams stopped in moments as ropes sprung out of nowhere and bound my arms behind my back. I sobbed as I was levitated into the air and turned to face none other that the Dark Lord himself.

"They died a quick death," he said, grief forced into his voice.

"Go to hell," I screamed, struggling against the rope, my tears slowing as I exchanged sadness for anger.

"I understand your anger, but there are more important things at hand, things that must be dealt with quickly. For your mother's sake."

At his last three words my head snapped up, rage overwhelming me. "If you hurt my mother, so help me god, I'll—"

"You'll what? You are not in a position to threaten me. Now be quiet, and listen."

But a heat rose in my body as my rage grew, and just when it became too much to bear, there was a loud bang and Voldemort stumbled back, other death eaters blown into nearby cars and houses as if a bomb had exploded.

"Impressive," Voldmort said once he'd recovered from shock. "But who would expect anything less from a Dumbledore?"

"A what?" I asked, momentarily thrown by his words.

"Oh, but your grandfather wouldn't want you to know, would he?"

"My—my grandfather? No. Both my grandfathers are dead."

"Oh yes. I killed one myself. No, your great-grandfather, he is very much alive. And he is none other than the great Albus Dumbledore." His words dripped with sarcasm.

"Albus Dumbledore?" _The_ Albus Dumbledore? The _fictional_ Albus Dumbledore? None of this was real. None of this was happening.

"Not vey astute, is she my lord?" a deep voice sneered from the crowd. I tried to place it as he stepped forwards, his black eyes piercing my own. The cashier…

"Now Severus, do try and be nice, her friends have just died and a few minutes ago she didn't even know magic existed."

"Don't you ever talk about Liz or Laura to me, you worthless scumbag!"

"You dare insult the Dark Lord?" A woman yelled, wand pointed at my chest.

"Bella, your wand," Voldemort said, his voice dangerously quiet. After a scared glance at him, she lowered it and melted back into the crowd. He turned back to me, smiling. "Now. I have an offer, of sorts, for you. Stand by my side in the war I am waging and I will teach you how to wield your recently discovered powers, I will—"

"Dumbledore could do the same thing," I snarled.

"If Dumbledore had his way, you would still be living the pathetic muggle life you've been leading for 18 years!" Voldemort snapped, red eyes flashing. He took a deep breath, then continued, "Your powers deserve a life worthy of their strength." His eyes seemed to be boring holes into mine, and I squirmed. "You deserve a life bigger than this," he said, gesturing around us. "You know as well as I do that this is what you've always wanted, what you've always dreamed."

Then I knew. He was delving into my mind. I blinked and imagined iron walls slamming down and pushing him out, then listed all the elements from the periodic table I could remember in quick succession.

"Stay the fuck out of my mind," I seethed, glaring at Voldemort. He had stumbled a few feet, not impressed so much as enraged by my second show of power in the night.

"If you do not wish a life of power for yourself, at least consider your mother." The words were clipped, impatient, and I felt the trees around me stir as though someone else was coming, someone Voldemort was not anticipating.

"No." Voice low, eyes narrowed, I knew with certainty that my mother was already dead if Voldemort had her.

"No?" he said, seemingly bewildered by my response.

"Let me simplify my answer," I said, ignoring the harsh jeering from the restless death eaters. Snape watched with narrowed eyes as I mocked Voldemort. "I do not negotiate with power hungry sociopaths such as yourself. Now let me go!" I knew without reading his mind what was coming, but the pain of the cruciatus curse was still a shock. I tumbled to the ground for the second time that night, screaming, and hoping that my assumption was right.

As he lifted the curse off me, and the crowd of death eaters were suddenly scattered, I knew I was right. The order of the phoenix apparated in and began to pick off the less adept death eaters one by one as the smarter ones fled.

Voldemort glared at me, lip curled in loathing. "So be it," he muttered, raising his want. My eyes widened, but it was not a green light that came soaring at me, but a purple one that hit my chest with a resounding thud. For a few moments there was pain almost beyond the unforgivable curse I'd just experienced. Then there was blissful darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**I edited this chapter after noticing a few holes... Sorry!**

_Thanks so much for the support and reviews! I know this chapter is short, but I'm already working on chapter four and it should be done in the next few days!_

_**Disclaimer: Though I love Snape and stood by him to the very end, I do not own his awesomely complex character. Rowling does.**_

"Drink this," Snape said, thrusting a vial in my face as I jolted upright, ignoring the pain that screamed through my chest and shoulder. I pushed his hand away, covering my mouth to stifle the sob that raked through my body. Liz, Laura, they were my fault. And my mother… my mom!

"Where's my mother?" I asked Dumbledore harshly.

"We are searching for her as we speak," he started hesitantly.

I shook my head. "No. Not good enough." I swung my legs off the table, suppressing the nausea that rumbled in my stomach. But I couldn't stand as I held my head, the room spinning slightly. "I have to find her," I muttered, eyes burning as I remembered the last time I saw her face; we'd gotten in an argument shortly before the concert. I'd stormed out of the house, completely furious with her. "I have to make sure she's alright."

"You have to drink this," Snape said again.

"What do you care?" I asked, unnerved by the caring look in his eyes.

"Severus is your uncle," Dumbledore explained, his voice cutting through an awkward silence.

_I'm the great granddaughter of Albus Dumbledore, and the niece of Severus Snape_. For a moment I was speechless. Then, "How the _hell_ did that happen?"

"I think we've _all_ asked that question," Sirius muttered, the last few words trailing off as Mrs. Weasley glared at him. "What?" he asked, shrinking under her gaze, "It _is_ a good question."

"I don't have time for this," I said, rubbing my temples and trying to stand.

Snape caught me before I fell, lifting me back onto the table while sighing audibly. "Now you're just being ridiculous," he chastised.

I glanced into his dark eyes before narrowing my own. "I'm your niece, right?" I asked softly. He nodded. "Which parent is related to you?" I already knew the answer as his gaze fell to the floor.

"Your mother is my sister."

"Then why don't you care that she could be dead right now?" I screamed, grimacing as the pain in my chest increased.

Snape took a deep breath, angrily leveling his gaze with my own. "Running blindly around England will do nothing for her," he said coolly. "She is bait, and I know her well enough to know that she'd want you to stay safe, even if it meant her own demise."

"Oh, now you know her? I seriously doubt you know a person you haven't seen in years, much less care about her." The words flew from my mouth without warning, and I sat, fuming.

"If your assumption is that I would simply abandon my only sister and her baby girl without a _very_ good reason I can assure you that you are sorely mistaken." His voice was dangerously low, and I could do nothing but nod. "Now take this, or the pain will only grow worse."

I frowned, realizing that my breaths had become ragged in the past few minutes, and finally took the vial of blue liquid he offered me. It immediately warmed my body and dulled the throbbing in my chest and shoulder until I could barely notice it.

"What about my dad?" I asked, guilty that I had forgotten about him until now. Snape looked at Dumbledore, who shook his head at me. It felt as though I'd just been hit by a truck; my vision went fuzzy and I blinked back tears, wondering how much more death I could handle.

"They attacked him in Florida before the Order could reach him," Dumbledore said regretfully. "Voldemort did it himself."

I closed my eyes, embracing the numb sensation that had begun to take over. Suddenly, this world was not what I wanted. My cheeks flushed in guilt, knowing that I'd dreamed about this for the past few years of my life, without thinking once about the consequences it would entail.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Weasley said, bustling towards me with a big bowl of soup. "Why don't you eat this and head upstairs, Katarina? You need a few solid hours of sleep after what you've just been through."

I nodded mutely as the others headed out of the kitchen, save for Snape and Dumbledore.

"When you've rested we'll talk again, shall we?" he said. I nodded again, realizing with a jolt that the two men standing before me were almost the only family I had left. _Ironic_. But once they left the room I found myself unable to finish my soup.

"That's alright, dear," Mrs. Weasley said after my many apologies, "I'll send some more up for you later. Your room is third on the right. There are pajamas on the bed."

I was too tired to question her, so I headed upstairs, barely noticing the elf heads, or the angry portrait of Mrs. Black. Once in my room, I sat in bed, forgetting the pajamas as I pulled the covers over my face and gave into the tears that had been threatening to spill all night.

**

_**I hate to do this to you all, but in order to post the next chapter, I'm requesting ten new reviews (to make 20 total). I want to make sure that I should continue the story, so yes. Thanks ahead of time for the reviews!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_Alright, I'm not going to explain much more for the next few chapters because I HATE info dumps. Feel free to message me once I do, though- my explanations may seem a bit out there. Also, I modified Ch. 3 a little near the beginning because I realized that otherwise she just somehow knew that Snape was her uncle... unlikely. So yes, let me know what you think about the story, pros/cons, issues you have with it, and if you like it, please leave a review- they make me write faster! _

**_Disclaimer: *stares at computer* Really? Who'd believe me if I took credit for these characters? No one? Ok..._**

**_**_**

When I woke up the next morning there was no moment of blissful ignorance. I didn't think that I was in my own bed, nor was I under the impression that my mother was about to walk through the door and berate me for sleeping in late. I did, however, believe myself to be certifiable.

"This is insane," I muttered to myself as I looked around the room. Sheer curiosity was all that propelled me from the warmth of my bed, and I dimly realized that I was in pajamas, despite my clear memory of falling asleep with clothes on. I reached to my necklace, a small charm that my dad had given me a year earlier, and once again felt like the breath had been knocked out of me. I pictured him, everything from the faded t-shirts he'd always wear to the beard that would inevitably form every few days, a result of his dislike for shaving. He was always so alive that it was hard for me to grasp the fact that he was dead.

Gone. _Forever_.

I blinked back a fresh wave of tears and glanced at a small painting to distract myself. A dragon breathed fire onto a small village as small figures ran away. I frowned, wondering who on earth would decorate their house with such a violent painting. _Oh yeah_, I thought, _if anyone would, it would be the Blacks_.

"The mudblood lover has sent Kreacher up," a small voice grumbled. I jumped and whirled around to see Kreacher, the reason for Sirius' death, standing in front of me.

"You mean Sirius?" I asked, ignoring his comment.

"The shame of the Black family! Oh, if mistress could see him now, housing the Dumbledore's spawn, oh she wouldn't like that, now would she? No she wouldn't."

"There was a point, I hope?" I asked, my temper flaring. I could not handle this creature right now…

"Dinner is served in an hour," he said, turning to leave, "And Kreacher wishes he could poison it. That would take care of all the mudblood lovers filthing up poor mistresses' house, it would."

Resisting the urge to kick the old houself, I sat back down on the bed. I had no appetite, and no urge to get out of the room and explore. All I could think about was Liz, Laura, my dad, and mom. My stomach immediately tied itself in knots as I worried, terrified and furious about what could be happening to her.

In a few moments, I realized that despite Snape's warning the other night, I had to leave. But no sooner had I gotten dressed did I realize that Voldemort would never keep my mother alive. She would be killed the second he got what he wanted from me.

"I can't just sit here!" I hissed at myself, frustrated. Running my hands through my hair, I kicked the trunk at the foot of my bed. My toes suddenly throbbed and I cursed, the stupidity of my action sinking in, as always, after the fact.

With a reluctant sigh, I decided to take a long-needed shower and get ready for dinner. There was a towel hanging on the door, along with a simple shirt and skirt that I was fairly sure wouldn't fit. But I took the outfit and headed from my room, promptly bumping into someone.

"Ouch!" she said.

I grimaced, apologizing quickly as I looked into the youngest Weasley's face.

"Oh no, it's no problem."

"Ugh, I have the worst balance issues."

"I doubt you're any worse than Tonks," she said, laughing. "But you'll find that out soon enough. I'm—"

"Ginny Weasley," I said, smiling. "I'm Katarina, but you can call me Kat."

"How did you know my name?" she asked curiously.

_Crap_, I thought. "Oh, um, Mrs. Weasley mentioned you last night."

She nodded slowly, and I cursed my inability to lie on the spot. "Well, I'll see you at dinner," she said, glancing down at the outfit I was holding. "Oh yes, sorry about the hand me downs. You'll have to borrow a few outfits of mine till we can go out and get you some clothes of your own in Diagon Alley."

_Oh yeah. No clothes. Nothing, actually_. "I guess I was due for a few new shirts anyways," I joked. _Mm—not funny_. She laughed politely and I headed off to the bathroom.

Once clean, I raised my eyebrows at the outfit. It fit, to my surprise, and when I looked in the mirror I realized that my appearance had changed, however subtly. My hair was more gold than dirty blonde, my blue eyes had shifted from the color of the sky on a winter day to the shade of water mixed with deep summer nights. Like Dumbledore's, I thought. And my body itself had shrunk a bit, weight I'd never been able to lose despite spending the entirety of high school on the soccer team.

I was confused; had unbinding my powers really done that much to me, inside and out? I could think of no better explanation and until the next time I saw Dumbledore, I was left to my own assumptions.

A door stood slightly ajar as I headed back to my room, and I couldn't help but hear the yelling. Harry must have turned up recently… He screamed for a few more minutes before two pops resounded and the twins' voices were heard. I couldn't help myself.

I knocked before entering, of course, but I wasn't about to wait to be let in.

"Hi, I'm Kat," I said to the five individuals in the room. Harry was there, lightning bolt scar more pronounced than ever in his flushed face. Ron and Hermione sat next to him, the latter close to tears. The twins' backs were to me for a moment before they turned, the only people in the room smiling. But even their grins faded when they laid their eyes on me, and I realized why.

"Aren't you Snape's niece?" Ron asked, incredulous.

I rolled my eyes, irked at whoever had told them when I saw the extendable ears in Fred's hands. Was I going to be enemy number one for two years because they thought that Snape was a git? "Don't hold it against me," I pleaded, groaning.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Fred said, grinning again. "You don't look a bit like him. No hooked nose, no greasy hair, and the beady black eyes are definitely not there."

"Thanks," I said, raising my eyebrows as George grinned too. A pang of sadness hit me as I looked at the twins, knowing that in a few years there would only be one.

"Don't mention it. Now," he said, turning around to the rest of the group. "I'm Fred, that's George, that is Hermione, the redhead is my youngest brother, Ron, and the screaming you heard earlier was this delightful chap, Harry Potter. And we are all in the midst of scoping out the Order's dangerous plans. Care to join us?"

I nodded, laughing, and we headed to the stairwell, only to find the Order filing out of the meeting room.

"Damn." George's voice seemed disappointed, but Fred was glancing at me, unaware of the loss.

"Everyone, dinner!"

We headed downstairs as the smell of stew drifted toward us, and I decided to confront Snape before he left, thinking that maybe at least a small fraction of my questions could be answered.

"Hey!" I said, rushing after his billowing robes.

He whipped around, glaring at me as I caught my breath. "Well?" he asked after a moment, "What is it?"

"Have they found my mom?"

He pursed his lips, shaking his head. "She has not yet been found."

"Can't you just, I dunno, ask Voldemort? I mean, you are a spy and all, it should be—"

Snape grabbed my arm and dragged me to the doorway, away from the cheerful voices.

"No one else can know it," he hissed.

"Yeah, I know, classified information, but just between you and I, you can't just leave her because you've sworn loyalty to the most dangerous dark wizard of this century!"

"You hold no sway over what I can and cannot do, and do not take that tone with me!"

My cheeks flushed as I clenched my hands into fists. "I'm an adult and I will use whatever tone I want!"

"You are a child who knows nothing of war or loyalty!"

I stared at Snape, biting the inside of my lip as he glared down at me. The seconds bore down on me, but for the life of me I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Go. Eat," he said after a pained silence.

"So that's it?" I asked, my voice breaking despite my best efforts.

He clenched his jaw slightly. "He is not telling anyone where your mother is; all I know is that she is alive."

I breathed a sigh of relief as he continued.

"But even if I knew where she was, I would not risk my cover to save her. The life of one is in no way more important than the lives of hundreds, and I will not risk the entire wizarding world, even for my little sister. It's selfish, and stupid."

With that, he turned and opened the door, aparating as I stared after him, tears prickling at my eyes.

"Oy, Kat, you going to eat or are you gonna stand in the doorway all night?" Fred asked, laughing from the kitchen.

"Coming!" I called, sniffling once before making my way to the kitchen, stomach growling loudly.

**

**_So? Too rushed? I thought it might be, but I wasn't sure how else to slow it down- ideas would be greatly appreciated. Also, I apologize about the lack of character-Katarina interaction... It'll be more present as the story progresses. _**

_**Don't forget to review!!! The more reviews, the faster I write, the happier we all are!!!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey all! I know it's been a while since I've last posted, but school is eating up my life! And, extra apologies for the short chapter. I'll try to make the next one much longer. _

**_Disclaimer: I didn't kill off all those wonderful people. Rowling did. So, I guess that would be the silver lining of me not owning anything in the HP universe? _**

**************

As the summer continued, I learned to hold my tongue around Snape. Every time I saw him I'd ask, every time I asked he'd glare, his mood darkening as he told me that no, my mother was still missing. And I left it at that, secretly resisting the urge to yell at him and mention hurtful things in my own frustration. I wanted to bring up Lily, or the stupid things Sirius and James did to him in school. But I kept my mouth shut.

Keeping my mouth shut was a talent I tried to hone as I spent more and more time with the trio, the twins, and Ginny. Harry brooded like none other, the pressure of his future weighing down on him, and I wanted so badly to tell him that it would all be ok, and although he would be tested to the limits of his strength, someday his future would be all that he could ever want.

And then Fred would walk in, and I'd remember that the future would be short a few people.

It made me brood almost as much as Harry sometimes, and I'd find myself wandering around Grimwauld place. The rooms were dusty and old, and even after we went cleaned, they smelled of dust and mildew.

Dumbledore never came to talk to me, only hurrying in and out for Order meetings, not once staying. I knew it was mostly because of Harry, about the possession that would happen later this year, because of the connection to Voldemort, but I still felt cheated with every day that went by without finding out the answers to questions that had been building since I'd arrived.

How did my parents meet? How did they wind up in America? Why didn't I know about magic from birth? Were they criminals? Was my mom a death eater like Snape?

But even though I saw the knowing looks passed between Lupin, Sirius, and the rest of the order, it seemed as though no one would be letting me in on my own history.

It was all I could do to keep myself from shouting, but I took refuge in the rigorous cleaning that Mrs. Weasley insisted we all do. Not that I'd ever enjoyed cleaning, but the methodical motions and repetitive work kept my mind from wandering, something I'd begun to do way too much of.

Two weeks after I'd arrived, Hermione and I were cleaning a small guest bedroom while Ginny and the twins worked on the one across the hall.

"Could you hand me that?" she asked, pointing to the bucket of water. I nodded, rolling up my sleeves, angry that I still hadn't gotten a wand.

"So do you think you'll be a student at Hogwarts? " she asked, trying to create small talk.

"I don't know," I said over-politely. I suddenly felt bad for being so silent; we'd cleaned three rooms already and I hadn't uttered a word. "I actually haven't found out much about anything. Dumbledore won't speak to me, and Sirius, Lupin, and Ron's parents avoid the subject completely."

"What about your Uncle?" she asked, turning to an old armoire.

I rolled my eyes, thinking of Snape. He was the most frustrating of all the adults around me. With cryptic answers and seeming apathy, I was all but done putting up with him. Looking back on it, I never should have liked his character so much.

After dripping some dusting potion onto a damp cloth, I wiped the top of the armoire before responding, "My uncle is under the impression that I have the mentality of a five year old, and am undeserving of any information, let alone anything relevant to me."

"He isn't the most talkative person," she said tentatively.

"He's an asshole."

Her eyes widening, Hermione raised her eyebrows. I was sure she agreed with me, but I was also sure that she wouldn't be caught dead insulting a teacher.

"Well he is doing some valuable work for the Order," she said.

"Don't get me wrong, I know the guy isn't evil or anything," I started. _Don't I know i_t, I thought , "but that doesn't make him a good person."

Hermione smiled. "I suppose."

The awkward silence pervaded the room as our conversation died.

I let it sit in the air for a moment before I could think of something to say. "I _would_ love to study at Hogwarts, maybe learn at least a few spells and charms."

I didn't mention that I'd waited for my Hogwarts letter when I was eleven, breaking into tears when it didn't come.

Hermione's face lit up. "I could help you learn a few spells, if you'd like."

I shrugged. "No wand."

"Oh. Right."

We continued cleaning, and I listened to her talk about _Hogwarts, A History_, dreaming of what the castle would look like.

"Oh, what's this?" she asked, breaking off her sentence about the ghosts that lived in the castle. I glanced into her hands and saw a small black locket. My eyes widened like saucers as she tried to open it.

"Hmm. Maybe we should take it to Mrs. Weasley," she said, turning toward the door.

"No!" I said too loudly.

Hermione looked at me, slightly surprised.

"Um, what I mean is, Sirius probably knows what it is, so why don't you give it too me and I'll talk to him about it later?"

There was a pause during which I thought she might question my sanity, or at least my intentions.

Then she handed me the locket and I forced out a weak smile, shoving it into my pocket.

"You're sure?" she asked, watching me closely.

I nodded, heart pounding rapidly as I held the horcrux in my hands. "I'll go talk to him now," I said, whirling around and walking swiftly from the room.

I found Sirius after running up the stairs, breathless and clutching the horcrux with white knuckles. He was talking to Harry in a room with faces on the wallpaper, and as I knocked, I tried to formulate a lie in my head, something, _anything_, so that I could keep it.

"Yes?" Sirius said as both he and Harry glanced at me oddly.

"I um—I found this in a guest bedroom with Hermione, and I really love jewelry and I was wondering if I could have it." I frowned internally as the lame excuse flew from my mouth.

Sirius glanced at the locket in distaste. "I don't know, Kat, it could have some very powerful curses in it."

_You don't know the half of it_, I thought as he examined it with his wand.

"Well, I can't find anything wrong with it," he said, handing it back to me. "You can have it, but make sure that Moody takes a look at it first."

Relief flooded through me as I thanked him and ran to my room, wondering what I should do with it. There was no way I was letting Moody do spells on it—even if he didn't find something wrong with it he'd declare it unsafe. After a quick glance at my trunk, I pulled out the key for it and thrust the locket in between two of Ginny's outfits. Then I locked it and made my way back to Hermione, a plan forming in my head.

But my thoughts stopped as suddenly as I did when I saw none other than Dumbledore chatting with Hermione as he sat on a comfy armchair that hadn't been there before.

"Ah," he said, smiling and standing up as I frowned in confusion. "Just the person I was looking for."

*****

_I know, I know, everyone hates a cliffie... I was going to make this chapter longer and include the next few scenes that follow this, but it's been a long time since I've posted something, so I wanted to get this out to you all._

_Next chapter will come as soon as I can possibly get it done! And it will be much much longer than this!_

_Please, please please please review!!!!!_


	6. Chapter 6

_I know, it's been a VERY long time, and I'm really sorry about that. I'm working on a lot of stuff right now, so it's kind of hard for me to update frequently. Hope the wait was worth it! _

_This Chapter is dedicated to JJ Rust, Hurricane Rachel, PlayingEndlesslyWithFire, and everyone else who have been with the story thus far! Thanks so much for the support! _

_**Disclaimer: I didn't make Dumbledore, nor did I choose his sexuality. I would have thought he'd be bisexual, to be honest. No, really. But I did make him have some straight experiences before he realized that he was gay... Thus the existence of my original character, Katarina. I know I'm cheating by using my disclaimer to talk about something my main character will NEVER speak with Dumbledore about, but hey, that's poetic liberty for you, huh?**_

****

Recap of Chapter 5:

Relief flooded through me as I thanked him and ran to my room, wondering what I should do with it. There was no way I was letting Moody do spells on it—even if he didn't find something wrong with it he'd declare it unsafe. After a quick glance at my trunk, I pulled out the key for it and thrust the locket in between two of Ginny's outfits. Then I locked it and made my way back to Hermione, a plan forming in my head.

But my thoughts stopped as suddenly as I did when I saw none other than Dumbledore chatting with Hermione as he sat on a comfy armchair that hadn't been there before.

"Ah," he said, smiling and standing up as I frowned in confusion. "Just the person I was looking for."

****

Chapter Six

"Took you long enough," I muttered at the old man as he stood.

Hermione's jaw dropped as Dumbledore chuckled. "And for that I must apologize. I fear that the past few weeks have not been good ones, and I thought it might be better to talk after you were a bit more acquainted with our world."

I raised my eyebrows and followed him out of the room, leaving Hermione alone again.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"First, to talk for a bit. Lemon drop?"

I nodded and he dropped one in my hand. I popped it into my mouth, savoring the sweet and sour flavor.

"Then, you'll be going to Diagon alley with your uncle."

I groaned at the prospect of spending a few hours with no one but Snape, and Dumbledore gave me a pointed look.

"I trust you'll both have a fine time," he said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Just in here." He gestured to the room where the order usually had their meetings, and I went in, dropping into the chair nearest to the door as Dumbledore took the seat next to me.

"So," I said, watching him.

"So indeed," he replied, eyes twinkling.

I opened my mouth to ask a question, but Dumbledore beat me to the punch. "I suppose you'd like to know a bit about why you're here," he started.

"Actually, I'm more interested in why I _haven't_ been here," I said, glancing around the dank dark room. "I mean, I feel like I've been cheated out of a world I was supposed to be a part of, and no one has even bothered giving me a clue as to why."

Dumbledore sighed, his smile fading, and nodded. "I do owe you an explanation. However, in the interest of time, I can only supply a partial story for now."

"Anything, really," I said, shrugging as the anger I'd felt at being completely ignorant started bubbling to the surface.

"Well, I suppose I'll start at the beginning. Your father, my grandson, went to Hogwarts with your mother. They were both bright students, and soon after they graduated, the two married and started training to be aurors."

"So, they didn't meet in college?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "That they did not."

"Why were they under the impression that they did?"

"All in good time," he said, leaning forwards slightly. "Your parents were extraordinary. No doubt every grandfather thinks this of his descendants, but truly, your father was a very gifted wizard, matched only by your mother. Unfortunately, it was their greatness that led Voldemort to attempt to recruit them. Your Uncle's position in the ranks of the death eaters made it very easy for Voldemort to find them, although they'd gone into hiding as was standard for every auror in training during that time."

"Did someone betray them?" I realized as my voice broke that tears were brimming in my eyes.

"No," he said after a few moments.

I felt my brow furrow. "What happened?"

"Severus is now very talented in Occlumency, but back when he started, it was a shaky gift that he had to work very hard to maintain."

"Are you saying—"

"Voldemort found where his sister would be, held her as bait, and your father came running after her, leaving you in my care."

Tears were swimming in my eyes. Dumbledore sighed, pausing to survey me from behind his glasses.

"Would you like me to stop?" he asked delicately.

I shook my head furiously.

"Severus pleaded with Voldemort to let them live, and finally convinced him. But your parents were found broken, with no memory or recollection of their former selves."

"But how did—"

He put a hand up and adjusted his glasses. "There is an unforgivable curse that inflicts unimaginable amounts of pain, one you were subjected to on the night Voldemort found you, I believe."

I nodded. But I knew already, that it was just like Neville—

"The Longbottoms, two aurors, were subjected to this very curse a few years after your parents, and they met a similar fate. However, your parents were luckier. Your father regained his memory within months, growing to detest the world he was raised in as it became obvious that your mother would never regain her own memories. He insisted that he take you and your mother to a place that Voldemort had not yet corrupted."

"America," I muttered.

Again, Dumbledore nodded. "I did not agree with his hasty solution, but Severus decided that it was the only way to keep his sister, and you, safe. He apparated the three of you there, cast a memory charm and a few protective wards, and we've heard nothing from any of you since."

For a long time all I could do was stare ahead of me.

"Did my mom ever remember?" I asked shakily.

"Your mother's mind was too far gone, and I'm afraid that to this very day she does not know of her life before this all happened."

"But, but," I mumbled, my brow furrowing immensely, "I heard such detailed stories from them about their lives—"

"Severus and your father created various alibis for you to hear as a child."

"And why couldn't I learn magic or go to Hogwarts?" Anger seeped in now, and I met Dumbledore's gaze with my own narrowed eyes.

"I had no say in the matter," he said, looking away from me.

I fumed for a minute, trying to redefine my parents as I knew them… My mind was still reeling when another question came to mind.

"Why didn't you or Snape try to find me once Voldemort was defeated by Harry?"

"There were still many death eaters on the loose that wished ill towards your parents."

I clicked my tongue. "That sounds like crap."

"I can assure you, it is the truth."

"I'm not saying it's a lie," I said, standing. "I'm saying that I've had quite a few conversations with Harry, and I've gotten more than enough warning about your cryptic half-answers."

"I am still your grandfather, and I will not be spoken to in that tone." A small warning hung in the air, and for a moment I recoiled. Then I thought of all the years I could have spent in the wizarding world, how he'd done nothing to overrule my father's stupid decision.

"The expiration date for me having to respect you ended when you let my dad die in America, on his own."

I walked from the room, not looking back at Dumbledore as I swung the door open to find Snape.

"Apologize," he said.

I shook my head. "No."

"Apologize now." The words slipped through his clenched jaw, black eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Fuck off," I said, shoving past him.

But three steps later I felt a burst of… energy come from behind me. I whipped around to see a red jet of light zooming toward me. My surprise was quickly eclipsed by fury, and almost as though I could touch the curse, I brought my hand up in front of me, sending it right back at my uncle.

He barely cast a counter curse by the time it zoomed back towards him, stumbling back a few steps. I stormed into the kitchen, ignoring his surprise, to see Fred eating an apple.

I paused, but he looked up before I could leave, a grin spreading up his face.

"Hey Kat," he said, tapping the table invitingly.

With a glance toward the other room, I sat down and wondered how long it would be before Dumbledore and Snape chose to take more parental liberties they didn't have.

"Hey Fred."

"I'm George."

"No," I said idly, "you're Fred."

His eyes let up as he grinned again. "How can you tell us apart?"

I smiled a little, grabbing an apple from the bowl in the center of the table.

"Magic, I guess."

At that moment, footsteps echoed and Snape entered the room. "Mr. Weasley, out."

"With pleasure," he said, grin melting off his face as he left with haste. I thought I heard the word "Git" from his retreating form, but I couldn't be sure.

Snape sat down in Fred's vacant seat and watched me silently. I contemplated leaving, until he opened his mouth.

"You are never to use magic on me again. Is that understood?"

"One, it was an accident. Two, you used magic on me first. That rule has to go both ways."

"I do not negotiate with—"

"I'm not asking you to negotiate. I'm eighteen. Don't treat me like a petulant child."

He paused. I raised my eyebrows. Then he sighed. "Very well." He stood up and walked to the doorway.

"Well?"

I turned. "What?"

"I have more important things to do than escort you through diagon alley, but considering the danger you're in, you can't go alone. I'd rather get the shopping done quickly."

I jumped up and grinned, my fury abating. "Oh my god, I'm so up for that!"

But as we walked passed Dumbledore, a surge of guilt engulfed me. I would apologize later, I decided.

"How are we getting there?" I asked.

"Apparation."

I made a face, remembering Harry's description from the books. "Couldn't we drive? Or fly a broom?"

"No." He rolled his eyes as we stepped onto the front porch of Grimwauld place. Reluctantly, I grabbed a hold of his arm and together we apparated to the leaky Cauldron.

It was every bit as bad as I thought it would be, and once we made it to the bar I thought my breakfast might upturn itself.

"Are you alright?" Snape said, a rare twinge of concern invading his voice.

I nodded, breathing through my nose as the nausea lessened. I looked around and gasped. My eyes widened as I took on the sights and sounds of the small tavern, but before I could even say hello to Tom, the barkeep, Snape was walking swiftly into the back alley and tapping on the bricks. As the wall folded itself to make an entryway, I caught my first glimpse of Diagon alley.

"It's not much," Snape said.

"It's perfect," I breathed.

*********

_So? What__ did you all think? _

_Remember, reviews are ALWAYS appreciated, so please please leave a comment if you can! They make me write faster! _

_Also, if there are any typos, please let me know. I checked it over, but I may have missed a few things! _


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey everyone! So here's the deal. From this point onwards, the plot line gets a little... well, let's just say frazzled. If it seems too implausible, that's probably because it is. If you've got an issue, send me a message with a better idea and I'll bow to your every whim. But beware of the monster known as subjectivity. It's a bitch all right._

_**Disclaimer: ... HP not mine. The end.**_

***

Recap of Chapter 6

I nodded, breathing through my nose as the nausea lessened. I looked around and gasped. My eyes widened as I took on the sights and sounds of the small tavern, but before I could even say hello to Tom, the barkeep, Snape was walking swiftly into the back alley and tapping on the bricks. As the wall folded itself to make an entryway, I caught my first glimpse of Diagon alley.

"It's not much," Snape said.

"It's perfect," I breathed.

***

Chapter 7

Three hours later, Snape and I came out of the apothecary. He was in an infinitely better mood, going so far as to buy me ice cream with strawberries, chocolate, and peanut butter in it. Witches and wizards bustled through the narrow alleyway and the sun shone down on the small shops that were crammed into various nooks and crannies. I grinned and insisted on going into the pet store, buying a small kitten that slightly resembled a lion cub.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," he muttered, glaring slightly at the cat in my arms.

"I love cats! How can you not like cats? Zonko's!" I shouted, heading straight for the joke shop. A firm hand grabbed my arm and I turned to see a very disgruntled Snape.

"No."

"Come _on_!" I pleaded.

"You don't really expect me to look the other way, do you?"

I raised my eyebrows. "I mean, you could just turn around for a moment, and—"

"Absolutely, irrefutably no."

I pouted and held my new wand, contemplating a spell before concluding that I'd probably just blow something else up. With a wave of guilt, I thought of poor Ollivander and his disaster of a shop. The first years hadn't even come and I'd already blown everything to smithereens.

Snape and I walked in silence for a while before he said, "I hope you do not believe that my lack of fury means I'm no longer angry with you."

I raised my eyebrows. "What?"

"Your behavior earlier was ridiculous. You are not a child, as you so tactfully pointed out earlier, so I do not expect you to behave like one."

"I get it," I said, desperate to get off the subject as we walked.

"I'm not so sure that you do," he said doubtfully.

"Then you're not giving me enough credit," I said, shrugging. "What else is on the list?"

"Text books."

"Flourish and Blotts?"

He nodded.

I smiled and ran the last few steps, quickly getting lost in the aisles. There were hundreds of thousands of millions of books, on everything from charms to grow hair to defensive spells to broomstick manuals.

"You've got twenty minutes," Snape said, his eyes lingering on the potions section as I trailed my fingers along countless spines. As his lips upturned slightly, I realized that we were probably both bibliophiles. Maybe we weren't as different as I thought…

Snape left me alone and I quickly got lost, flipping through pages and pages of biography, history, charms, and spells. It was everything I'd always dreamed of, and ten minutes later I was completely enveloped in a history book.

"I've always found history rather boring myself."

I glanced up and gasped, slamming the book shut as Lucius Malfoy watched me with slight amusement. From the moment I looked into his cold grey eyes I knew he'd been there that night.

And yet here he stood.

I scrambled to stand up, backing away slightly out of pure instinct.

He noticed.

"Lucius Malfoy. And I don't believe I've had the pleasure."

"And yet you seem somewhat familiar," I said, my eyes flickering towards his lower arm where I knew the dark mark sat in black ink.

It was just a game. Play along.

He tilted his head slightly as his smile grew. "I think I would have remembered a face like yours," he said, taking a step forward. "From what I understand, you're Severus' niece?" He chuckled slightly. "Funny, you don't look a thing like him."

"Really?" I said, finally taking a step back as he approached me once more. "I think I take after him in some respects. Like being able to sniff out bullshit."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "America has tainted your manners," he said icily. I wondered how angry he'd have to be to stop smiling as he continued. "I would hate for your uncle to overhear such rudeness. Where is he, by the way?"

With a pang of fear I realized that I had no idea where Severus was. "He'll be back in a moment," I said, remembering the lie they told us to tell in elementary school; Never let the bad guys know that your parents aren't around.

"Ah, what was that oh-so eloquent word you used earlier? Oh yes. _Bullshit_."

I backed up again with my hand firmly on my wand, hoping desperately that I could learn how to use it very quickly. Lucius took two swift steps until he was standing a mere few inches from me.

"I've got another vocabulary word for you," I said, stifling the scream that was crawling up my throat. "Asshole."

His eyes narrowed as I finally wiped the smile from his face, and a gloved hand reached up. For a moment I thought he was going to slap me, until he delicately pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. As he did that, Lucius leaned his head in, whispering in my ear.

"The Dark Lord will not let you go so easily." His hot breath burned my neck as I tried to move. A gloved hand grabbed my shoulder painfully and I yelped despite my best efforts. "You may be under the Order's protection _now_, but rest assured, the day will come when you will once again be at the Dark Lord's mercy. And when that day comes, you will pay for your attitude. I suggest you learn some manners before then."

He backed off suddenly as footsteps approached and Snape found us. His eyes went from me, shaking, red, and clearly upset, to Lucius, who, once again smiling, was smoothing his robes and clutching his cane.

"Lucius," he said, nodding as I tried to compose myself.

But I shook as Lucius nodded at Snape. "It's good to see you again, Severus. I was just making an acquaintance with your niece. She's everything you've told me about. And more."

"You have no idea," I said, narrowing my eyes.

Lucius raised an eyebrow but Snape spoke first.

"Yes, well, unfortunately we must be going now. Pleasure seeing you Lucius." Before I could blink, Snape had grabbed my arm and yanked me to the counter where he paid for our books without speaking. Once we were out of the store it seemed as though he let out a breath he'd been holding.

"You shouldn't be talking to him," he hissed as we retreated toward the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yeah, because I approached him and had _him_ up against a wall," I muttered sarcastically.

"He did _what_?" Snape said furiously. But before I could answer he'd already shaken his head and continued walking. "Never mind that."

"Look, I'm fine, ok?"

Snape stopped, facing me just outside the brick wall. "Listen to me. Lucius Malfoy is much more dangerous than you think he is. And what's worse, he's eternally loyal to the Dark Lord. Do not underestimate him, do not talk to him. Avoid him at all costs. Understand?"

I hesitated for a moment, unnerved by Snape's seriousness. "I understand. I'm sorry."

He nodded. "By the way," he muttered, "I was instructed to obliviate your memory of that first night."

I frowned. "The entire night? That's thick."

"No, not the entire night, just the part where you knew that I was a death eater. So do try and play dumb."

"I'll make a mental note of that," I said, glancing back to the bookstore as a shiver went down my spine.

"So, about earlier," I said, gripping the shopping bags alongside Snape.

"It's alright," he said, glancing at me once. "You don't have to apologize again."

"I wasn't going to."

He clicked his tongue and I smiled slightly.

"I just wanted to know why I was able to do the whole wandless magic thing. From what I understand, it's not normal."

Snape shrugged, something I never thought I'd see him do, and we entered the leaky cauldron. Sitting down at a small table, Snape finally answered me. "Younger witches and wizards have instances in which their magic flares unexpectedly, during unusually heightened emotion or danger. That is why school starts at eleven."

I smirked. "Because a hormonal witch or wizard on the loose without adult supervision would be a disaster."

"Precisely," Snape said, rolling his eyes. "Now, your powers were bound for that period of your life, so there was no trouble. But the magic has been, _stifled_, so to speak, for so long that wandless magic is almost a second instinct for you."

"But not forever, right?" I asked, worried that I'd blow something up every time I got angry with someone.

"Not for more than a year or so," he said, waving discretely at the barkeep. "But know this; purely because of your lineage you are more powerful than many other wizards out there. You _must_ learn control, and you must learn it _quickly_."

Tom came over with a glass of mead for Snape. I noticed Tom's glare in Snape's direction and realized how rude he was to just about everyone. Though I knew he had reason to be so callous, I couldn't help but wonder what my uncle's life would have been like if he could have mustered up a smile or two once in a while.

"And what will you be wanting, miss?"

Tom's voice jarred me from my thoughts and I blinked a few times, smiling apologetically and spewing out the first drink I could think of. "Pumpkin juice, please."

"We'd also like some stew, Tom."

"Of course, Professor."

"Thank you."

And Tom retreated from the table, leaving us in silence. I was brimming with questions, but part of me was already overwhelmed with the day's events. Being cooped up in Grimwauld place with only about ten people was one thing, but seeing the wizarding world in action was beyond comprehension. My heart beat twice as fast as normal as I sipped my pumpkin juice that had appeared a few seconds after Tom's departure.

"You'll get used to it," he said.

I glanced up as his words resounded in the relative quiet of the bar.

"What?"

Another rare smile melted the harsh frown lines that had developed over his lifetime. "I can see it in your eyes. It's the same look that the first years have when they first set foot in Hogwarts."

I smiled too, despite my irritation. I'd always been able to mask my nervousness, but as of late it seemed I was easier to read. Either that or I was just surrounded by people who could read others better…

"Do I get to go to Hogwarts?" I asked.

"Of course," Snape said as Tom levitated two large bowls of stew to our table.

"What year will I start in?" I asked.

"First, obviously. You'll also receive lessons from myself and your grandfather on a weekly basis. If you progress beyond first year level, you will move up a year, etc."

My eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to be in a class full of eleven year olds, am I?" I asked, not daring to believe that he would be so cruel.

But as Snape raised his eyebrows, I knew I'd been too hopeful. "Of course you will."

Conversation lagged after that, as I came to terms with the fact that I'd sit in a classroom full of preteens. I didn't want to, not by any means, and I decided that as soon as I got back to Grimwauld place I would enlist Hermione for help. I still had a solid few weeks before school started…

Snape also seemed to be in his own world, dealing with worries that I knew were far more serious than my own. I thought about my mom before trashing the question; it was obvious he'd tell me when or if she was found. But the thought sent a whole set of cogs turning in my mind, and once again I couldn't keep my thoughts to myself.

Not that I didn't try. I bit my tongue for a whole minute, sipping pumpkin juice and observing the portraits around us before my thoughts became too much.

"I have another question," I said suddenly, as he stirred his stew absent-mindedly.

"And you'll ask it whether or not I feel like answering," he said, rolling his eyes. "Proceed."

"Dumbledore told me what happened with my parents," I said tentatively, watching my uncle's face carefully.

It went from slightly annoyed to a perfectly blank mask. I was impressed.

"Yes?" His voice was also blank, as though we were discussing the properties of a bezoar.

"Riddle had to break through your defenses in order to find them, right?"

"If you think that I gave up the location of my sister willingly, you had better—"

"No, no," I said, holding up a hand as his mask gave way to quiet fury. "I don't think that at all. I'm just wondering, why on earth did he let you live if he knew that you were hiding information from him? Wouldn't there be a lack of trust?"

Snape sighed, clasping his pale fingers together as he surveyed me. "The dark lord punished me... thoroughly, convinced that I only had the audacity to disobey him because of my sister. Since they, _broke_, her, he reasoned that I had no other ties to cause disloyalty. And, of course, he thought that I feared him."

Disconcerted by his choice of words, I hesitated before continuing. "Do you fear him?"

"I would be a fool to not fear him."

I watched him for a moment, biting the inside of my lip. "But it only made your alliance with the Order stronger, didn't it?"

"What?"

Lily came to the forefront of my mind before I bit back the name, swallowing it with a few other words that he wouldn't take very well. "If mom hadn't been, _broken_, your allegiance would have been torn, or at the very least unclear. Riddle solidified the very bonds that he was probably trying to sever."

With a frown, Snape stood and gestured for me to do the same. "Why does it seem as though you know more than you're letting on?"

Again, I thought of Lily. Then I thought of the pages that I'd read, the memories that revealed his past and his death, and a guilty blush spread through my cheeks.

"I told you, you don't give me enough credit," I said, staring at my feet.

"You're lying."

I glanced into his eyes, imagining a brick wall sealed with an iron lock, hoping that the amateur occlumency would be enough.

As his eyes narrowed and my head spun slightly, I knew it wasn't. The books came to the surface of my mind and I blushed as Snape's eyes widened. He stood, shaking the table and almost overturning my half eaten stew.

"Explain!" he hissed, eyes flashing wildly.

"I'm not sure that I can," I said. The weight of knowing so much about this world suddenly doubled as I tried to avoid the heavy load.

"Try," he said, his entire demeanor changing in an instant. "Try very, _very_ hard."

I narrowed my eyes and tried to look tough, failing miserably. "I can show you," I said with sudden determination.

He nodded and I turned around, leaving the Leaky Cauldron and immersing myself in the busy streets of Downtown London. For a moment everything was a blur, before I headed to the first bookstore I saw.

I felt Snape cast a spell, looking down at the commercial bags that now wrapped the supplies I'd stocked up on. His attire had also changed; dark jeans and a black button down shirt replaced the billowing robes.

I ran to the kids' section, finding nothing. My brow furrowed in the white fluorescent lighting, and glanced at Snape. "It's not here," I said, disbelief lacing my voice.

"Are you telling me that you imagined what I saw?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"No," I retorted, my face scrunching slightly as frustration filled me. "It's here. Just, give me a minute."

Turning around swiftly, I rechecked the kids' section, then the young adult section, and finally, the adult section.

There was nothing. Not even a slight lightning bolt scar to be found.

"It must be on a special display," I reasoned, ignoring the cynical huff that followed my words. Giving my bags to Snape, I hurried desperately to the nearest sales clerk.

"Hi," I said, returning her broad smile. "I know this is going to sound bad, but I can't find any of the Harry Potter books. Could you point me in the right direction?"

I ignored Snape's snort at the mention of his least favorite student's name.

She furrowed her brow slightly and turned to a slim computer. "I'm sorry miss, I haven't heard of that series. Let me just check."

A laugh escaped my lips. "Funny, really, but I have to find the books."

The smile on her lipstick-covered lips faded slightly. "I'm quite serious. I'm sure they're great books, but I just haven't got much time to read lately."

"You're telling me you've never even _heard_ of Harry Potter?"

"No miss, I haven't."

"You know, like, the wizards, with Hogwarts? They made a couple of ok movies, too."

Snape's face stretched into a grimace and he sighed loudly, probably nervous that I was exposing a few of the largest secrets of the wizarding world. But the woman simply shrugged.

"Now that area I've got down. Even the American ones. I haven't heard of any Harry Patten movies."

"_Potter_!" I corrected, panicking.

We left the bookstore and I crossed my arms as we walked back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"I wasn't making it up," I said to Snape's silence.

"I know you weren't. I read your mind, remember? However, I am just a tad bit concerned about your mental wellbeing."

"I am _not_ crazy!" I said, turning around to face him as we approached the fireplace.

He sighed loudly, sitting down in a chair and gesturing for me to do the same. "Prove it."

I bit my lip. "How?"

"Just, tell me something that you learned in those books of yours that no one else would know."

My self doubt abated as the color drained from my face. I knew quite a few things that no one else would know.

"Are you sure you want me to bring that stuff up?"

Snape sobered immediately as the earnestness of my question sunk in. "You're really that sure of yourself?"

"Assuming that I haven't been hallucinating over the past couple of weeks, then yes."

He nodded. "All right. Tell me."

I took a deep breath. "I know that you called yourself the half-blood prince throughout your time at Hogwarts." By the time I finished my sentence, Snape's face had become, if it was possible, paler than I'd ever seen it.

"Who told you that?" he whispered, eyes narrowed.

I shrugged.

"You're telling me that a—a _book_ told you that?"

I nodded.

He stood. "And now you can't find the book?"

"I guess." I swallowed as he nodded.

Suddenly he grabbed my hand and we were back on the front porch of Grimwauld place.

Snape still looked shaken as he turned to me. "We're going to see Dumbledore. Now."

"Why?"

"Because if I am correct, you are a seer."

***

_**Comments? Questions? Typos?**_

_**I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this Chapter! If you did, would you be so kind as to leave a comment? I'm sort of in dire need of an ego boost lately...**_

_**This is where the story really gets interesting, so I hope you're all interested! Haha...**_

_**Reviews please**_


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hey! So, it's been a while, and I'm so sorry, but, well, it seems as though school and fanfiction can't survive at the same time. I'll try to update semi regularly this summer and not leave anyone hanging! _**

**Disclaimer: I don't own HP. Sadness.**

***

Recap of Chapter 7:

Suddenly he grabbed my hand and we were back on the front porch of Grimwauld Place.

Snape still looked shaken as he turned to me. "We're going to see Dumbledore. _Now_."

"Why?"

"Because if I'm correct, you are a seer."

*****

Chapter 8:

For the second time that day I sat in the room where the Order held their meetings, staring into the face of my grandfather. Dusty scrolls and snoozing portraits lined the walls, as well as a blank map that I highly suspected was under an enchantment to erase itself after every meeting.

I'd been there for about ten minutes, and they hadn't stopped questioning me about the past four years of Harry's life.

"It was a basilisk, and it would have killed Ginny Weasley."

"What healed him?" Snape asked.

I nearly rolled my eyes. "Fawkes cried on his wound."

"How did he kill the basilisk?"

"Sword of Gryffindor," I said in a bored voice.

"Alright, what question did I ask Potter in his first year on the first day of Potions class?" He wore a smirk, and I knew that despite my earlier evidence, he didn't believe me.

One of my eyebrows peaked up as I leaned back in my chair. "You mean the one you asked him to make him feel stupid on his first day and show him just how big and bad you were? Were you talking about _that_ one?"

Snape was livid as Dumbledore finally spoke up. "Severus, please."

The words jarred me, and I grimaced for a moment as Snape and Dumbledore shared a look. Could they read each other's thoughts? I didn't know if it was possible, but if I had to wager a guess in that moment, I would have said yes.

Turning back to me, Dumbledore cupped his hands patiently. "It seems as though there is more to you than I anticipated, Katarina."

"Tends to happen sometimes," I said, shrugging.

"This _does_ pose a problem. There are many questions to this puzzle. Why Harry's thoughts? Why did you not simply know more of our world's history? How elaborate is this story of yours, and where does it end?"

Again I shrugged, irritated but unsurprised that he was asking me questions instead of giving me answers.

In a few minutes, more members of the Order accompanied us in the room. Lupin, Sirius, Tonks, Moody, Molly, Arthur, and plenty of others that I didn't recognize seated themselves along the suddenly vast table space.

They bickered at the news that Dumbledore had shared, and I could tell that he wondered if it was right for the Order to know. I, however, had no doubts. Of course they should.

But soon they started asking me questions, most of them completely filled with doubt, just like Snape had been.

"But how does she know?" One witch muttered.

"If Dumbledore says she knows, I trust him," Lupin said confidently. "As should we all."

"Thank you Remus," he responded, nodding his head slightly in appreciation. The room quieted down. "I think that considering the information Katarina knows about past events, she might be able to—"

"Wait," I said, straightening immediately. "I don't just know the past. I know what's going to happen in the future too."

Both Snape and Dumbledore perked up a little, surprise and anticipation in their gaze. Beneath that though, there was concern.

"What do you know of the future?" Snape asked. His voice was just a tiny bit higher than usual, but I knew that he was interested. He was convinced, and dying to know what I knew.

"Everything," I said, swallowing.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed as Sirius leaned closer across the table. "What do you mean, _everything_?"

I took a deep breath, looking around as I gathered my thoughts. "I know times and places where many major death eater attacks are going to be, I know a few people who will be corrupted in the ministry, I know when they'll start accepting the fact that Voldemort is dead," a few people grimaced, but I plowed through their discomfort, almost completely unaware of it, "I know—"

"_Enough_, Katarina," Dumbledore said quietly from the head of the table.

I stopped myself mid sentence, irritated that he'd stopped me right before I said how the war would end. It would help their morale right now. But as I looked up and down the table, some faces were full of fear, some with surprise. In fact, only a miniscule amount were filled with hope, one of them being Sirius. He stared into my eyes with a half smile that almost made me overlook his dropped jaw.

"She could help, Albus," Lupin said after a few more minutes went by. Many nodded, apparently taking the idea more positively as it soaked in.

"If she knows," Sirius started, "_if_ she knows as much as she claims, she could prevent so much loss, she could anticipate every attack—"

"Well, not every attack per say," I interrupted nervously. Then my face broke out into a hopeful smile. "But a lot."

Sirius looked at Dumbledore, then to me. "She could help us win the war."

Muttering broke out as Snape began to frown. Across the table, Moody seemed to be thinking along the same lines, whatever they were… For a moment I was curious, but he didn't leave me waiting for long.

"This information is dangerous," Moody said, eyebrows furrowed as he limped toward Dumbledore. "She could become a liability."

"_Liability_?" I repeated, angry.

Moody ignored me. "Voldemort could use this information and change his plans easily. He could anticipate his own strengths and faults from what she knows. It could change everything."

"Oh trust me," I said bitingly. "You should _definitely_ want some things to change." Molly covered her mouth as everyone realized the implications of what I'd just said. I bit my tongue, frowning, but my anger refused to abate. "But I would never, _ever_ tell Voldemort what I know," I said.

"Oh really," Moody said, smiling in a way that made his mouth curve into a grimace. "Well don't worry. He doesn't need you to. All it takes is a few goes with the Crucius curse and you will sing out your darkest secrets like a bird." I backed away as he talked, but even so, Moody's face was a mere few inches from mine when he was done.

Then a hand closed on his shoulder and he jerked away. "Enough," a silky voice uttered. As Moody glared, I saw the icy look Snape threw at Moody. "There are ways of preventing such scenarios from occurring."

"Why are you suddenly so protective of your niece, eh Snape?"

Anger boiled in me when I heard the derisive way he said "niece."

"God forbid," Snape replied through a clenched jaw.

"You wouldn't want to take over all of her protection by yourself, would you? It would make it easy to take her over to your Dark Lord, now wouldn't it?"

"Alastor," Dumbledore said delicately. That was all it took. Moody sneered at Snape and went back to his chair, while Snape returned to his own.

For a moment, the room was silent. Then Dumbledore spoke directly at me.

"You must promise me that you will not tell anyone what you know, or that you are a seer."

"_What_?" I asked , taken aback.

Half the table broke out in agreements or dissent, but one look from Dumbledore silenced them all.

He leveled his blue eyes with my own. "I think it's best that we keep the matter quiet."

"No way! I know valuable information that can turn the tables!"

I knew that Harry would survive, that the war would be won, but there would be so much pain, so much suffering, and suddenly it seemed I had the power to do something about it.

"Tell me something," Dumbledore said, a hint of anger in his words. "Did anything you imagine in these books involve yourself?"

I frowned, then swallowed. "No," I started hesitantly.

"And was your mother or father a part of it?"

Sighing, I shook my head. "No, but—"

"It is true, you know much more about our world than you should, and you have a truly amazing gift. However, you never took into consideration what your presence would do to impact the outcome."

"I know it changes things, but I still think—"

"If we were to take your advice, there would be unanticipated results. People could die because of it. Would you like to bear the weight of that responsibility?"

Dejected, I shook my head, cursing him inwardly for bringing up such a valid point. I'd never thought of it that way, and now I felt like a complete idiot for not realizing it sooner. I wiped away a tear quickly and looked down at my lap.

It was Snape that broke the silence this time.

"It won't stop with this, Albus," he said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded. "Severus will prepare a potion for you so that you do not have any more premonitions or visions."

My shoulders sank. "But I can _help_."

Dumbledore shook his head. "As nice as that would be, we cannot rely on your visions at the present time."

His words were like a slap in the face, and he realized that as soon as they were out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Katarina, but considering your current state—"

"I'm not crazy!" I shouted, standing and slamming my hand down on the table.

"I do not think you are—"

"You do!" And he wasn't alone; as I looked around, there were members who'd raised their eyebrows or were whispering while glancing at me every so often. The only ones who looked as if they still took me seriously were Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Molly, and Arthur.

"It is common for seers who've been bound to experience an excess of visions, sometimes ones that will not occur in reality."

"You mean hallucinate," I said coolly.

He hesitated, then nodded.

For a moment I wanted to tell him about how Harry would hallucinate later that year…. Then I stopped myself. That very well may never occur. But I somehow knew it would. I couldn't let it happen. I knew, I knew everything… and if it started happening, I would stop it.

Crossing my arms, I nodded. "Fine," I snapped, sitting down again.

"Do not _act_ on any of it, either," he said, noticing my fake retreat easily.

I glowered at him, nodding slightly even as I crossed my fingers under the table. Immature, I knew, but it had to be done.

"I think that just about concludes the meeting," Dumbledore said, tone light and airy again as he looked around the table.

"The girl's _protection_, Albus," Moody pushed.

"I can take care of myself," I said briskly, crossing my arms.

"Of course," Moody said sarcastically, "you were doing a fine job when we saved you the other day from those death eaters."

"That was different," I said, clenching my jaw. "And can I just say I really don't like you?"

Moody sneered. "Fair." Then he turned back to Dumbledore. "I think she's in just as much danger as the boy, if not more so."

"I agree," Snape said. A few others nodded their heads.

"She should have someone by her side at all times outside of the house, in addition to the normal guard," someone said. Molly. Of course.

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Volunteers?"

Tonks stood up immediately, raising her hand for emphasis. "I'll do it."

Dumbledore nodded, though others seemed apprehensive.

"But what will we do once school begins?" Molly said.

"Hey," I said, waving my hand slightly. "Still in the room here."

No one listened.

"I'll keep a close eye on her," Snape said. Again, a rush of hesitation seemed to pass through the Order, but no one was bold enough to object. Not even Moody. I smiled slightly despite my anger.

"Very well then. Meeting adjourned."

And with that, the crowd dispersed. Sirius and Lupin quietly argued in their seats as Molly and Arthur surveyed me with their worried-parents look. I didn't mind, almost comforted by it. I'd always loved Molly, but right now my irritation was mostly directed at her for suggesting having such a close watch on me. It felt stifling.

I approached my grandfather and Snape, a scowl set firmly on my face.

"I'm not taking the potion."

"Yes you are," Snape replied coolly.

"It's for your own good," Dumbledore said in an almost reassuring voice.

"Why?" I challenged.

Snape sighed. "Just as the rest of your powers are almost uncontrollable right now, your visions will be as well, once they begin to happen."

"Will they happen in my dreams or something?" I asked Dumbledore.

"You will probably have to work quite hard to bring them on," Snape said. I turned to him for a moment, frowning.

"Then why do I have to worry? I haven't even had a vision yet."

"Because we don't want you to see something that could bring on reckless action," Dumbledore interrupted. "If you attempt to bring them on, you could bring on catastrophic events on yourself."

"Such as?"

"A complete and total breakdown of your mental facilities."

"Oh." I leaned against the wall and let out the breath I'd been holding. "I guess—I guess I'll take the potion then."

"Considering the fact that you can see the past and the future, I'll have to modify the ingredients," Snape said, mild irritation in his voice.

"What do you mean?" I asked, still dumbstruck over the possibility of losing my mind completely.

Snape and Dumbledore exchanged a glance. Then Dumbledore nodded, and Snape answered. "Usually a seer can only see the past or the future. You can see both. The potion will have to be stronger since your abilities seem to be more powerful."

I nodded blankly. "Ok."

Dumbledore left shortly after, and despite Snape's earlier urging I didn't get the chance to apologize for him. As I stared through the window at the spot he'd last been in, I couldn't muster up even a little guilt; after all that had happened that day I couldn't seem to get in the apologetic mood.

"I noticed you have some sense of Occlumency," Snape said, causing me to jump slightly. He didn't seem to notice my surprise though. "Try to hone that skill. It may help you gain control of your visions better."

"How would you know what would help my visions?" I snapped.

Snape watched me disapprovingly before sighing. "Because your mother was a seer."

He left without another word, and I winced as the door closed after him. All in all, the day had gone terribly. I would start taking the potion tomorrow, and Dumbledore had made me promise to not tell anyone what I knew.

My mind was spinning as I headed up to my room, and I barely changed into my pajamas before plopping into bed, angry and helpless at the fate that suddenly seemed so easy to change.

***

**_So? Too much OC? Too little HP? I dunno. Hope you all liked it though! But whether or not you did, I'd love to hear what you think! _**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Hey all! Here's a long long chapter! Hope you like it! Side note: If you love HP and you love musicals, Youtube "A Very Potter Musical." I watched it a few weeks ago and I'm OBSESSED._**

**Disclaimer: Unnecessary. **

*****

Chapter 9:

I slept fitfully, waking the next morning in nothing less than a pissy mood. I stormed down to the kitchen where Molly—Mrs. Weasley, I mean—was already making breakfast. She picked up on my mood right away, but apparently chose to ignore it.

"Good morning," she said, a little too much cheer in her voice.

Still half asleep, I had to force out a "hello." Normally I would have merely grunted in response.

"Hungry?" She asked, not waiting for a response as she laid down a plate of eggs, bacon and toast.

I managed a "thank you" with little effort. Cooking was something I'd always loved about her.

"You know, Harry thinks you're a great cook," I almost said. Instead, I said "You're a really good cook."

"Thank you dear," she said warmly, already making another plate. "It's fortunate you woke up so early. Your uncle will be stopping in soon to drop off your potion."

_Yippee_.

I gulped down a glass of orange juice as Fred and George walked in the room. Their mom set plates in front of both of them, ruffling their hair affectionately.

"Morning Kat," they said in unison.

I nodded at them as I finished my plate, pleasantly stuffed.

"Would you like another plate, dear?"

"Good _lord_ no," I said, tapping my stomach delicately. "I already feel like I'm eating as much as Ron."

The twins snickered.

"That would be truly tragic," a low voice said from behind me.

My smile melted as the twins' laughter died abruptly and I turned to face Snape.

"Morning," he said.

I raised an eyebrow, not in the mood to be cordial.

He held a box in his hand, tied neatly in twine. "I have what we spoke of last night," he said before walking out of the room.

I followed him to the stairway where he untied the box and lifted out a delicate looking vial of neon blue liquid. Darker bubbles of blue floated up to the top in their unrest, and I wondered with a bleak shiver how bad it would taste.

"Will sugar mess it up?" I asked, frowning at the bottle.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I know it conflicts with wolfsbane, but does it conflict with any ingredients in this?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Luckily for you, this," he said, tapping the vial, "is tasteless. Just squirt a drop into your evening tea, and drink it right before you go to bed."

I nodded, hoping that this wouldn't be another case of "_don't worry, this cough syrup is cherry flavored so it tastes good_."

"How did you know about the sugar?"

"The seer thing," I said, irritable that he'd brought it up.

"Well, you may be able to count on a few things from your visions. That was a correct assumption you made. Sugar will conflict with the ingredients in your potion. But seeing as your visions seem to come from Potter's thoughts, do not rely on them in the academic arena."

"Thanks," I muttered, tempted to bring up his old textbook.

"I brought you this," he said, holding out a large leather bound black book. "You have another month. I recommend going over the material if you don't wish to stay in a room full of prepubescent idiots."

I opened the pages; it seemed like an encyclopedia of ingredients, their uses, and common potions that they were found in. Halfway through the book though, there were potion-making instructions. Of course, Snape's handwriting filled up the margins, but it wasn't his potions textbook.

"Cool," I breathed, forgetting my anger momentarily.

He nodded once in approval, then turned to leave.

"Thanks," I called out as he left.

Pausing, Snape must have sensed the sincerity in my voice. Then he apparated off, and I sank into the nearest armchair, engulfed in my newest book.

"Hello Kat," Sirius said a few hours later.

"Hey Sirius," I muttered, unable to tear my eyes from the article on bezoars I was reading.

"I've been meaning to talk with you for a while. Do you have a few minutes?"

_That_ grabbed my attention.

I looked up at his face, which was oddly apprehensive, and folded the corner of the page I was on before shutting the book and sitting up.

But it seemed as though we wouldn't be talking there, because Sirius gestured for me to follow him as he began to climb the stairs. I said nothing further, traipsing after him until we reached the top floor of his house, walking silently down the hallways until we got to Buckbeak's room.

I couldn't help but be in awe of the creature, even though I'd spent a fair few hours in here with her myself.

"Sorry for the journey," he said, "But there are many who would not want us to have this conversation, and this is the most private place I know of."

I nodded, shifting the book under one arm as I leaned against the wall. "No worries."

"Have you had any more visions?" he asked.

I shook my head, realizing that I should have expected this from Sirius.

"Were you serious about how much you know?"

"Yes," I said, ignoring the voice in my head that said, "No, _you're_ Sirius."

His eyes widened slightly and he swallowed. "Do you, do you know how the war ends?"

I hesitated. "Dumbledore was right," I muttered. "My, um, vision, of how things happen has to be majorly compensated for. Me being here could change everything."

"I know. I understand. But what if you can still help?"

"I want to help," I said, determined.

He smiled. "I think I know just from your actions how you've seen the war end."

I bit my cheek. "That could change."

"Do you really believe that?"

Again, I hesitated. "No," I said finally, my gut instinct.

"Then go with what feels right," he said. "Your dad was a Gryffindor, a house full of people that knew what was right and weren't afraid to stand up for it!"

"Like Peter Pettigrew?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Sirius fell silent. "There are, of course, exceptions to everything."

"I'm sorry," I started, "I didn't mean to—"

"Don't worry," he said, a small smile on his lips. "Just a bit of a sore spot. I still believe that you know what to do, regardless of Dumbledore's worries."

"You think that he's wrong?"

"I think that your grandfather is a brilliant wizard who rarely makes mistakes. But everyone goes about their lives differently, and Dumbledore is…different."

I smiled then.

"I'm not telling you to explain what you see to everyone, but if you see things falling into place like you've predicted and they aren't good, you should do what you think is right. You're of age, after all. You can make your own decisions."

I smirked with laughter at his last words, nodding. "I'll take your advice to heart."

Almost on cue, Kreacher pushed into the room, glaring at Sirius. "The mudblood lover told Kreacher to let you know lunch is served." Sirius nodded at him, grimacing at the small creature slightly. "And Kreacher hates her, he does. Waltzing around the mistress' kitchen. Kreacher wishes she would go back to the hovel she lives in, he does."

"Kreacher, shut _up_!" Sirius shouted, kicking the small elf.

I closed my eyes as Sirius shut the door. "Hungry?" he asked, his mood completely different.

"I'm willing to take your advice. But it involves taking mine. Can you do that?"

Sirius nodded quickly.

I crossed my arms. "Call Kreacher back here."

Frowning slightly, he did as I ask. The elf was glaring once more, standing between myself and Sirius.

"Apologize to Kreacher."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Did Hermione get to you with her S.P.E.W. club?"

"No. Please, _please_ trust me."

He looked into my eyes once more before sighing. "Kreacher," he started, his voice pained.

"I'm sorry," I mouthed to him, trying to keep from smiling.

"I'm—I'm _sorry_."

Kreacher looked completely confused, to say the least, but wisely said nothing.

"Now order him to never ever tell anyone outside of the Order of the Phoenix anything that he sees, hears, or observes in this house. In that exact wording."

Sirius did. Word for word. Then he ordered Kreacher to leave.

"What _exactly_, was that for?" he asked, irritability invading his words.

I smiled apologetically. "You really don't want to know. But At least I'm taking your advice, right?"

He nodded slightly.

"Also," I added as we walked down the stairs to lunch, "This is going to sound obnoxiously cryptic, but you'll get the urge to leave this house near the end of the year, more so than you do now. Don't leave, under any circumstances."

"I'll try."

"For Harry?"

"Ok."

**

Later on, I was cleaning with the trio, pressing Hermione for information on basic charms and transfiguration.

"And make sure you're saying it right," she said, as I held my wand up. "Swish and flick. Very good. Remember, it's levi-_oh_-sa not levio-_sah_."

Stifling a smile, I did as she told me, and the feather on the floor began to quiver and lift from its perch, almost as if a wind had blown it upwards.

They clapped as I grinned, losing my concentration as the feather fell back down.

"That was perfect!" she gushed.

"Well, you're a great teacher," I said, beaming.

"Oh dear!" she said, nearly dropping the pixie droppings she'd been clearing from the corner. "That reminds me! Our letters should be coming today!"

Ron grimaced as Harry chuckled, and Hermione flew downstairs.

"Better go catch her before she faints with excitement," Ron muttered. "Prefect badges this year," he explained to me.

It felt like a lightbulb had gone off in my head, and I almost cursed myself for not having memorized the books word for word… even if they were made up in my head.

I grabbed Harry's wrist as he left the room and he turned, confused.

In that moment I had to make a decision; was I going to purposely defy Dumbledore and his wishes just to soothe Harry's ego?

_Hell_ yes. It wasn't as if the old man hadn't been wrong before.

"You know," I started, biting my lip nervously. "Being a prefect isn't too big a deal."

Harry grinned. "I know. It's just that Hermione's been obsessed with it all summer. I swear she's gone mental."

I smiled slightly, and chose my words carefully. "Who do you think the Gryffindor male prefect will be?"

He paused. "Er, I hadn't really thought about it. Guess it could be anyone." And with more spring in his step than before, he made to leave the room.

Fearing I'd only made things worse, I grabbed his wrist again. "Harry, you won't get it. You won't be a prefect."

"I didn't say I was. It's not like I expect special treatment just cause of my scar," he said, angry. His cheeks actually flushed a little.

I put my hands up. "Didn't say you did," I said, strangely relieved.

I could hear Hermione's shrieking a few minutes later, and Ron's shocked swearing only moments after that. Harry said nothing save for a meek "congratulations" that I barely heard from the top of the staircase. I decided to go down and congratulate them.

There it was, from Harry, the odd, suspicious look he threw at me as Mrs. Weasley congratulated the two new prefects. The twins began their teasing a few minutes later, and we all headed upstairs once more to commence cleaning before the impromptu party/dinner.

"Did Dumbledore tell you?" Harry asked before he entered the room. Ron and Hermione were still talking excitedly about their new badges.

I snorted. "Are you kidding me? That man talks to me less than he's been talking to you lately, and that's saying something."

"Then how did you know about the prefect thing?" he demanded.

"Dumbledore's predictable," I lied.

He watched me for a few more minutes before nodding, half-satisfied with my explanation as he decided to let it go.

**

The next time there was an order meeting, I was not allowed to be a part of it. It was after Harry's birthday but before the trial he seemed so nervous about. I didn't bother to tell him that it would be fine, that he needn't worry; he'd be fine.

I did however, worry about my mom, still having heard nothing from Snape. I took that stupid potion every night, and soon my dreams (which had nothing to do with visions in the first place) became blurry and pointless, people becoming shapes, shapes becoming fuzzy colorful clouds. It was ridiculous, and I began to feel disoriented and drowsy when I woke up in the mornings.

"That's a normal symptom," Snape said when I'd asked him about it after the order meeting.

I nodded doubtfully as Dumbledore walked out of the room, Sirius following close behind. He winked at me and I grinned, ignoring the suspicious glance Snape threw my way.

Dumbledore smiled serenely at me. "And how have you been these past few weeks, Katarina?"

"Fine," I said, waving away his question. "Have you found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher yet?"

He paused. I'd been waiting for weeks since my conversation with Sirius; I refused to have my first year at Hogwarts tainted by such a terrible teacher, especially since I didn't know how many years I would even be spending there.

"No, I have not. The position is still open. Katarina, how do you know about this?"

I raised an eyebrow and he nodded in understanding.

"Ah yes. Your gift. Have you been taking your potion?"

"Yeah, I am. This is from before. If you don't appoint someone soon, the ministry will."

"I am well aware of that fact," he said, his voice becoming stern. "Unfortunately, there are few willing to enter the post given the past few teachers' reasons for leaving."

I spotted Lupin and Mad-Eye talking in a corner. Oh yeah. That.

"Have you thought about Horace Slughorn?"

That caught his attention. Snape raised his eyebrows as I crossed my arms.

"Horace is a potions master, as I'm sure you are well aware. That is not the post we need filled."

"_Duh_," I said quickly. "What if Slughorn taught potions and you finally let Snape teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Dumbledore hesitated, and I noticed Snape bristle slightly. Shifting uncomfortably myself, I knew that the post was cursed, and no matter how much I disliked Snape, a small part of me admitted to some attachment to him. I figured he could just move back to potions next year; that could be his way of leaving the post open, or at least that's what I told myself, because I would _not_ let him die. In fact, if all went well, Voldemort would be gone by the end of this year.

"I'm not sure that would be the best plan—"

"You trust him, don't you?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"I do. However—"

"If you trust him, you should give him the position._ I_ trust him."

Snape stayed silent as Dumbledore's face turned from serious to amused. "I will take your suggestion into consideration," he said, "However at the moment I need a word with your uncle. Alone."

I threw my arms in the air. "I get it. Just know that if you don't find someone for the job, the ministry will appoint an obnoxious, evil, ugly hag." I walked away, not expecting either of the two men to answer me.

They did not disappoint.

I eventually sat down next to Ginny, petting Crookshanks and pestering her about Quidditch. We went upstairs after dinner to find the twins muttering to each other in their room.

"Oy," Ginny said, pushing the door open, "What are you two going on about?"

"Top secret," George said, grinning at us both.

"Let them stay," Fred said, watching me.

I smiled at him and entered the room, spying the ton tongue toffees. My smile widened.

"Have you ever heard of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

_Yes_.

"No," I said, letting them describe their plans to me as Ginny took Crookshanks from my arms and waited patiently.

"So what do you think?" they asked ten minutes later, both grinning ear to ear.

"I think it sounds freaking awesome!" I said. "What about, like, a book version of your trick wands?"

"What do you mean?" Fred asked eagerly.

"Well, you could slip them into the library, and when they opened up a fist would come out and punch you. Definitely more amusing than studying."

The twins exchanged a look.

"Fred, how do you feel about a new business partner?" George asked his brother seriously.

"Well George, I feel pretty good about that. Any more ideas in that beautiful head of yours, Kat?"

**

The end of the summer came quickly, mostly due to the fact that I finally had something to do; I spent the mornings reading my textbooks (_especially_ the one that Snape gave me), and going over spells and charms with Hermione. After lunch we all cleaned up the house until dinner. Then the twins, Ginny, and I convened in their room to brainstorm. I learned a lot of new spells from them, though they were generally useless unless you wanted to cause major havoc. I would go to bed after reviewing what I'd read in the mornings, reciting herbs, dates of the goblin rebellions, and incantations as I drifted off to sleep.

It almost felt good, my new life, save for the pain and loss. It still felt like yesterday when I'd talked to Voldemort face to face, and even though the potion messed up my dreams, I'd often wake up in the middle of the night with his laughter ringing in my head, thinking his red eyes were staring at me from the shadows in the corners of my room.

And my mom. My mom was still missing. I hated to think about what she might be going through, and I regretted every time I'd yelled at her or argued with her rules. When I was alone I wondered what she'd been like before, if her voice was different, what her goals and dreams were…

Harry's trial came and went, and finally it was time to go to Hogwarts. Harry and Ron ran around that morning during breakfast trying to track down the possessions that had somehow scattered all over the house. Hermione rolled her eyes more than once, muttering something that sounded like "_boys_" as Ron tripped over his own trunk on the way downstairs.

It rained all morning, and I was soaking wet by the time we got to the station. I was almost giddy with excitement as I ran through platform 9 ¾. Fred teased me, his voice almost flirtatious, but eventually invited me to sit with him and George on the train.

"Yeah, sure," I said, blushing slightly.

"And who is this, Potter?"

I froze as I almost recognized a sneering voice. It was the same as Lucius', save for the pitch. I nearly laughed at the small difference, turning to face none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron said, glaring.

"Why don't you go find some better robes, Weasley?" Draco sneered, "maybe there are some in that trash can over there."

I rolled my eyes as he smiled at me. "Name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. It's a pleasure to meet you…"

"Katarina Dumbledore," I supplied at his questioning glance. His smile turned into a grimace as I took his hand and shook it.

"You're a—a Dumbledore?" he sputtered. "_And_ an American?"

"Well, you're a ferret, _and_ a Malfoy," I said sweetly, "But I'm not holding any of that against you."

Ron and Harry were doubled over with laughter as Malfoy turned a delicate shade of pink.

"Draco," A more familiar voice called. I straightened slightly as Ron and Harry stopped laughing, instead staring up at the older and more dangerous Malfoy. His cold grey eyes gave me a thorough once over that I swear, only Fred noticed, and smirked at me.

"Katarina, how _pleasant_ it is to see you again," he said, nodding his head.

"And here I was, wishing I would get struck by lightning before having to talk to you again," I said.

"Kat!" Lupin said, walking up to us as though he sensed the tension from off where the adults stood, some of them already gone.

Lucius' smile widened. "Remus, how pleasant it is to see you," he said, his tone implying the opposite.

"Lucius," he said calmly.

"Isn't it a bit of a precarious time for you to be out though?" Lucius said in mock concern as his eyes flitted up to the sky.

Lupin bristled slightly, knowing he was referring to the full moon that night.

"Fuck off," I said to him, my eyes narrowed slightly as I gripped my wand.

Lucius smiled as his gaze flickered back in my direction. "My my, I see your vocabulary has remained as colorful as it was the last time we spoke."

Lupin opened his mouth, but the train whistled loudly, apparently cueing the end of the conversation.

"Well, it seems as though it's time for you all to go," Lupin said lightly, ushering us toward the train.

Lucius waved once. "I look forward to speaking with you again," he said.

"Yeah," I said, forcing out my own mocking smile, "Maybe next time you'll wear short sleeves so we can all see those _lovely_ tattoos you have!" I said loudly. Hermione's eyes went wide as Lupin let a whoosh of air out of his mouth. Lucius' eyes flashed as he left the platform, Draco already lost in the crowd.

"Do _not_ push him!" Lupin chastised as I stood on the stairs to the train, the others already in their respective compartments, waving goodbye to the Weasleys and the scruffy black dog that had insisted on joining us. "He's dangerous!"

"It's time someone stood up to him!" I protested. "That arrogant prick is strutting around like he owns the entire wizarding world!"

"His day will come," he said more quietly. "Until then, _please_ try to not draw attention to yourself."

I nodded, surprised when he gave me a small hug and slipped a letter into the palm of my hand. "Don't open it until you're at Hogwarts," he muttered into my ear. Again, I nodded, and he smiled at me. "Stay safe!"

Waving meekly at him, I stepped fully into the train and found the twins. They introduced me to their best friend, Lee, who I immediately liked. Throughout the day I kept meeting more people, and my head was spinning by the time we made it to Hogsmeade station.

I'd been dwelling on the folded up letter in my pocket from Lupin, my second confrontation with Lucius Malfoy, and what might happen once I got to Hogwarts. The worst part of it was that I hadn't seen Horace Slughorn once during the trip. The pit in my stomach grew and grew until I stepped into the Great Hall.

I noticed four things immediately: the breathtaking ceiling that resembled the sky, the floating candles that added to the already mystical atmosphere, the grandiose quality to everything around from the tables to the walls to the air, and the ugly shade of pink that Delores Umbridge insisted on wearing.

I groaned. This was going to be a _great_ year.

*****

_**My awesome readers! Hey! So it's the end of the chapter. Are you planning on reviewing? Of course you are! **_

_HUGS for reviewers!_


	10. Chapter 10

**FINALLY_ at Hogwarts. God it took a while for Kat to get there, right? Remember to review! Your opinions mean more to me than you know!!!_**

**Disclaimer: Unnecessary at this point, I think.**

*****

Chapter 10

Dumbledore followed my gaze, a small smile playing on his lips.

I scowled. Of course he thought it was funny _now_…

"Just wait," I promised, shaking my head.

He sat in the middle of the staff table, his chair slightly higher than all the others. I only had time to glance around the room a few more moments before someone nudged me forward.

I turned to Professor McGonagall, who wore an irritated look on her face.

"Did your uncle not inform you where to go? Hagrid was supposed to collect you along with the rest of the first years. No matter," she added at my questioning look.

It was then that it registered.

"Oh no," I said, staring at the gaggling first years up at the front of the hall. As we passed the Gryffindor table, Fred smirked at my panicked expression. Harry raised his eyebrows slightly as Hermione passed me an encouraging look.

"_Please_ don't make me get sorted in front of the entire school," I pleaded.

Most of the other students were still talking amongst themselves, making greetings that they hadn't gotten a chance to make on the train, and only a few glanced our way. I still blushed, mortified at being the random old student…

"The headmaster said that you were to enter as though you were a first year. That means that you will be treated like one. And you will of course show the proper respect to your fellow peers." McGonagall had taken on a tone of finality that, despite my fear, I was unwilling to challenge.

We reached the first years, and one red-headed girl in the crowd picked her nose.

I grimaced. "You're serious."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "_Quite_."

And she left me there, alone, in the front of the Great Hall.

_Perfect_.

One boy stared up at me, his jaw open slightly.

"_You're_ not eleven," he said. His high voice reminded me just how young he was...

I crossed my arms, slouching slightly. "Yeah, well, special circumstances and all."

"What _kind_ of circumstances?"

I glanced up towards Snape who, despite all of his stoic blankness, seemed to be repressing a smile as he watched me.

"The kind that you don't have to worry about," I grumbled, thankful when McGonagall set the hat down on the three-legged stool in front of us.

It sang out a tune, warning about house unity and such. I could barely listen to it; instead I scanned the students and teachers, especially Umbridge. She wore a fake smile that really did remind me of a toad. Staring attentively at the hat, she applauded politely at the end of its song.

Then it started.

"Adams, Patricia," McGonagall called out.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" And of course, the Hufflepuff table broke into applause. And so it went. I waited for my name to be called after, "Down, Logan," but she skipped right to, "Endelson, Ulrich."

Maybe I wouldn't have to be sorted? But right after, "Zimmerman, Kisha," Dumbledore stood, the hat remaining firmly in its place.

I gulped.

"It is good to see so many familiar faces, especially in times such as these," he started, and it seemed as though Umbridge's smile faltered just a little bit. "But tonight, we also have a few new ones. Let me first introduce you to my granddaughter, Katarina Dumbledore," he gestured in my direction.

I smiled weakly as McGonagall waved me forwards.

"While she is the age of a typical seventh year, she has been unable to attend Hogwarts until now, due to special circumstances." He paused then, glancing at me with a small smile. "She will begin as a first year, and will be sorted just as the others have been. I hope that you all welcome her with open arms."

He stood back for a moment as people applauded (I heard a few whoops from the Gryffindor table), and McGonagall set the hat on my head. I took a deep, calming breath that only came out as a shaking exhale, and waited.

_Ah, look at this! A Dumbledore! And a child of Rose and Henry, no less!_

I flinched as I heard my parents' names. _Could you please just get this over with?_ I pleaded.

_Of course, of course. But a sorting such as this should not be taken lightly. In fact, this particular decision is a difficult one for me to make. You are cunning, and ambitious, wonderful traits for Slytherin, your mother's house. Yet you are also brave, and unwaveringly loyal. Admirable in a Gryffindor, your father's house. The question is, which one do you belong in?_

I sighed. _I know which one I'd like to belong in. And I know that my life here would be a lot easier if you put me in that one._

_If it is your wish…_

_Yeah_!

"GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted, and I stood up, hastily taking off the hat and nearly throwing it into McGonagall's arms as Fred and George slid over so I could sit between Fred and Ginny.

"Good on ya!" Fred said, patting my back.

"Thanks," I said, smiling brightly.

The others started to congratulate me, but I knew I didn't have much time to celebrate as Dumbledore continued.

"Also new to Hogwarts this year, to take up the post of defense against the dark arts, is Professor Dolores Umbridge." Everyone clapped politely.

Well, except for me. I watched my uncle with amusement as he forced out three tired claps, then I waited for Umbridge to interrupt Dumbledore.

Sure enough, she cleared her throat, sure to look polite and simpering. Hermione frowned as Dumbledore continued.

Again, that bat cleared her throat with a little "ahem."

This time he turned around, and mistaking the questioning gesture as an invitation, Umbridge stood and made her long, boring speech.

I tuned out within seconds, as did Harry, Ron, Ginny, the twins, and the rest of the student body. Hermione seemed the only one still listening. The teachers, though, looked highly interested in what she was saying. McGonagall, in particular, had narrowed her eyes into small slits.

"What was she goin' on about?" Ron asked, frowning as Dumbledore started what turned into a very weak round of applause.

Hermione raised her eyebrows as food blossomed onto plates. "Were you even _listening_?"

Ron and Harry had already dug into the food, as had I. It smelled too good to resist, and I couldn't help but notice the plate of burgers that only sat at the Gryffindor table. There were also fries, pizza, and mozzarella sticks—my favorite.

"No," Ron said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"I mean, we have you," Harry pointed out. "Which is why we never bothered to read Hogwarts, a History."

She bristled a little more before saying simply, "When she said something about progress for progress' sake—"

"It means the ministry is interfering at Hogwarts," I said simply.

"In not so many words, I suppose," she said, irritated that I'd interrupted her.

"Sorry," I said, reaching for the soda (again, something that hadn't popped up at any of the other tables).

Soon, dinner was over and I realized that I had no idea where I'd be sleeping. Once again I headed back up to the staff table, unsurprised to find Dumbledore already gone. Snape hadn't even stood up yet, as though he'd anticipated my presence.

"So, does the humiliation continue with me sleeping in the first years girls' dorm?"

He stood, shaking his head. "Your grandfather and I have decided that you will sleep with the seventh years, so you may socialize with those your own age."

"Ok," I said, blinking tiredly. "And are there any more surprises waiting for me, or are you two really just winging it like I think you are?"

"First of all," he said, taking off towards the Gryffindor table where the twins and Ginny had hung back. The rest of the Gryffindors had taken off, led by a disgruntled Ron and enthusiastic Hermione towards the tower. "We had more important things to worry about this summer than the technicalities of your status at Hogwarts."

Shame sparked inside me as I followed him.

"Secondly, you will receive your schedule tomorrow morning at breakfast from your head of house. Your teachers will speak with you individually after class about the conditions of skipping years, so I highly suggest you give them more respect than you have given your grandfather and myself. And keep in mind," he said, pausing right in front of the twins, "that here, you are a student. If you mouth off to me at all, I _will_ take disciplinary action."

"_Thanks_," I said sarcastically.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for the sarcasm." I opened my mouth to protest, but he'd already turned around. "Goodnight Katarina," he called over his shoulder, walking away briskly.

The twins glared at him for a moment as I stared, open-mouthed.

"Don't mind him, he's a git," Ginny muttered, grabbing my hand as we started towards Gryffindor tower.

"Yeah, don't be surprised if he takes points tomorrow because you bothered to wake up," Fred said scathingly.

We climbed what seemed like an endless amount of stairs before reaching the portrait of the fat lady.

"G'night Kat," the twins said in unison, tiredly making their way up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

Ginny and I parted ways at the fourth year girls' dorm, and I awkwardly climbed the rest of the dark stone stairs alone, nerves consuming me as I opened the door to the seventh year girls' dorm.

Five beds sat in a circle around the room, dark red curtains over them while a trunk sat at the end of each one. The floor was stone, but an intricately woven yellow-red rug covered most of it.

Soft snores came from one bed while another's curtains were drawn. Two girls sat on one bed whispering to each other and giggling, but they stopped as soon as I walked in. One girl with cinnamon skin stood up with a bright smile, kissing me on the cheek.

"Angelina Johnson," she said.

The other girl waved from the bed. "Alicia Spinnet."

"Nice to meet you," I said, heading for my bed, which apparently sat between theirs.

"If you need anything, just let one of us know," Alicia said, closing what looked like a normal magazine, except that the woman on the cover moved. "It's hard your first year, and Hogwarts can be more than a little hard to navigate."

I yawned. "Thanks," I said. "What time is it?"

"Around one," Alicia said.

"We were waiting up for you," Angelina explained, changing into a deep blue nightgown.

I picked up my Gryffindor tie and caressed it lightly, then opened my trunk to find my pajama bottoms.

"Sorry," I said. "I had to figure out where I was sleeping. My uncle doesn't really tell me much, so I had to find out after the feast."

"Yeah, so you're Snape's niece?" Alicia started.

Angelina shot her a glare as I shrugged.

"So I've been told."

"We _really_ should get to bed," Angelina said, yawning for emphasis.

"Oy, Kat," she said, once we'd all lain down to sleep.

"Yeah?" I whispered, staring up at the top of the canopy.

"You any good at Quidditch?"

I frowned. "Dunno."

"We'll have to find out then," she said, a note of excitement in her voice.

I smiled fleetingly before turning over; there was no point in me trying to sleep when adrenaline rushed through my body. So I waited until I was sure that everyone had fallen asleep, then dragged a few textbooks from my trunk and crept down to the common room, taking the best armchair by the fire and preparing for my first day of classes.

Hermione would be proud.

*****

_**So? PLEASE review! Let me know what you think? What will happen? What SHOULD happen? **_

_**:D Thanks, as always, for reading!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**_Here is a particularly long chapter for you all! I've discovered that outlining the story helps A LOT, haha, and I'm pretty sure everything will start to make more sense from this point onwards. _**

**_Saw the sixth Harry Potter movie recently, by the way. I was... disappointed, to say the least. But there were definitely some parts that made watching it worth while. What did you guys think?_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff. Rowling does though...**

*****

Chapter 11:

I couldn't fall asleep that night, not until the sun was poking up above the horizon. An orange glow blazed where there was otherwise deep blue, and finally my eyelids drooped for the last time. Angelina woke me up a few hours later, already dressed.

"Do I even have time to shower?" I whined, groping blindly for my uniform.

She shook her head. "Maybe you can sneak up here during free period and take a quick one, but as it is, we're late to breakfast."

Taking one moment to glare at my skirt, a piece of clothing I'd never been fond of, I shrugged into the clothes, thankful when Angelina quickly tied my tie for me. I was able to brush my teeth, wash my face, and clumsily brush through my hair before we nearly ran down to breakfast.

"So who are the other two girls in our room?" I asked as we passed the Bloody Baron.

"Louise Trenton and Patricia Gold. They pretty much keep to themselves."

We made it to the Great Hall then, and found the twins waiting for us. George and Angelina kissed before she grabbed some toast and eggs. I smiled at Fred, feeling awkward, as his ears grew slightly red.

"Ah, there you are, Miss Dumbledore," McGonagall said, hurrying over to me with a few rolls of parchment in her arms. She handed me one. "Now, Professor Snape has informed me that you have been studying over the summer, so I would like each of your teachers to sign this with a suggested year—for now you're all in first year level classes. Come to my office at the end of the day, and we'll work out a more permanent schedule then."

She stalked off towards Ron and Harry as they tiredly made their way into the hall before I could respond, and off at the end of the table I noticed Hermione shaking her head at them, a small smile on her lips.

I looked down at my schedule then, shrugging. Not too bad, I guess.

_**Charms**_

_**History of Magic**_

_**Herbology**_

_**Free Period**_

_**Lunch**_

_**Defense Against the Dark Arts**_

_**Transfiguration**_

_**Free Period**_

_**Potions**_

I would have Astronomy that Wednesday night, which was good since I needed more time to study for it.

Fred was looking over my shoulder, and grinned suddenly.

"Ha!" he said triumphantly.

"What?" I said, frowning. Had I missed something?

"We have free period together, right before seventh period."

"Sweet. More time for studying, right?" I added sarcastically.

He made a look before digging into his eggs, and I grabbed a carafe of orange juice, happy to find it was fresh squeezed. The ceiling was bright yellow, and I could almost feel the warm rays on my face. I ate more than my fair share of eggs, bacon, and toast by the time the food disappeared and it was time for classes to begin. I'd brought all of my textbooks in my backpack, so it was considerably heavy as Hermione pointed me in the right direction to Flitwick's classroom.

I took a seat in the middle of the room, too nervous (and tall) to sit in the front, trying to ignore the first years staring at me. Even though I'd been sorted into Gryffindor, I noticed in my schedule that some of my classes were doubled between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Apparently the teachers thought it was more important for me to learn at the proper level than remain with peers from my own house. I agreed. Not that I disliked my own house, but I didn't expect to form much of a bond with any eleven year olds, Gryffindor or not.

Flitwick walked in as I was reviewing the fifty most well known charms in my head, as well as the theory behind them. I had to stifle a gasp when I saw him. He stood on a large pile of books, wand nearly the length of his arm as a handlebar mustache spread across his face. When he spoke, his voice was kind but strict, and I could tell that whatever year I was placed in, I would be working hard.

After calling my name out from the roster, Flitwick seemed to ignore me the entire class—he gave us a lecture on charms and not to be fooled by the lightness of the name. "We're dealing with serious magic," he said.

Then he made a tea cup dance across the table to end the class.

I remained behind when he dismissed us, and he gave me a wide smile. "Miss Dumbledore, it is a pleasure to meet you," he said.

I grinned. "It's nice to meet you too, Professor."

"Your grandfather asked us all to test you, and though I'm sorry to make an already trying day that much more difficult, I must ask you what you've learned over the summer. Don't feel pressured though, everyone learns at their own pace."

I nodded. "Um," I started. "What should I do?"

"Let's start with a basic levitation charm, shall we?"

Flitwick seemed happy with what I could do, but he clapped his hands after I'd explained a few theories he quizzed me on.

"Give this to Professor McGonagall," he said, tapping a roll of parchment with a seal on it. "I'll supply you with the proper textbook tomorrow."

I thanked him and left, blushing with happiness as I realized I might have just passed my first test at Hogwarts. Hermione passed me in the halls on my way to History of magic (which I found all by myself) and asked how Charms went.

"Um, good, I think. Definitely interesting though."

If only History of Magic had gone that well. I sat next to the window, a move I realized to be lethal as Binns began to drone on and on about the value of history in the wizarding world. At least in this class no one stared. Everyone had fallen asleep a half hour in, and I struggled to not let the warmth of the sun lull me into my own slumber, jotting down major points before zoning out completely.

Binns quizzed me after class, giving me a note similar to Flitwick's, but I couldn't tell if it was good or bad, considering the blank look on the ghost's face. I blamed his slow manner as I ran down to the greenhouses for Herbology, apologizing hastily to Professor Sprout.

"Never mind dear," she said, shooing me off towards the rest of the class. Herbology was interesting, but spending the night awake had definitely taken its toll on me. After missing three questions she asked, I trudged back up to the castle for lunch with three letters to McGonagall in my bag.

"Hermione!" I asked, sitting down next to her as Harry and Ron sat next to the twins. "How many years does it take for a venomous tactacula to become fully grown?"

"Eight," she answered automatically.

"Shit!"

She smiled. "Kat, we didn't learn that till last year. If that's the only one you got wrong, then you did better than we thought you would!"

I shook my head as I took a sip of pumpkin juice. "I think I got two more wrong."

Fred snorted into his pumpkin juice. "Don't get too much like Hermione, Kat. All that studying will fry your brain."

"I just want to catch up," I muttered, blushing. "I feel like I missed this amazing opportunity, and I don't—" I stopped then, realizing I'd almost just said, "_I don't have much time_." I didn't think it would be good to let everyone know that Hogwarts would most likely be filled with death eaters in two years time, even if I could stop it…

"You don't what?" George pushed.

"I don't want to stick out," I corrected smoothly.

"You're the granddaughter of the headmaster and the niece of the most hated teacher here," Harry said, "It's a bit late for sticking out."

"True," I said.

I managed to dump three of my textbooks into my dorm before Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry and Ron walking me to the room.

"She seemed like a git at my trial," Harry said, "But she's so much worse than I thought."

Ron nodded fervently.

"She _is_ a git," I said miserably.

"And I didn't think that anyone could be worse than Snape," he said, grimacing. "Blimey, we're gonna be late to potions, Harry!"

They ran off and I took a deep breath before walking into the classroom. _It couldn't be that bad, right?_

_It was a crock of shit_, I decided halfway through class. After instructing us to read the first chapter, Umbridge talked openly about how terrible past teachers have been, and how lucky this class was to have bypassed such nonsense.

But through it all, I managed to not say a word. Some looked as though they felt the same as me, but most of the students had taken Umbridge's lecture in completely.

"Now, what can you all tell me about basic defense based on the chapter we've just read?"

"It has absolutely nothing to do with practical defense," I said under my breath.

For a moment her eyes flitted towards mine. I straightened up, bracing myself for public humiliation, when she picked on a small girl near the front of the room. I breathed a sigh of relief.

She beckoned me to her office after assigning us an essay (that I would now have to do on my own time), and to my dismay, Harry's description of the room had been accurate. An understatement, even. I stared in horror at the pink brick walls, absurd amount of doilies, and the haunting meows that echoed in the room.

"Sit, please," Umbridge said in a high sugary voice.

I sat.

"Have some tea."

Smiling, I shook my head.

Her smile faltered a little bit. "Surely, you must be thirsty."

"Actually I just had lunch before your class."

"Hmm."

I let the awkward silence build before glancing pointedly at the clock. "Class is almost over, professor."

She glared. "Very well. Now, the headmaster informed me that you have been studying all of your subjects over the summer. I'd like to hear more about what that means."

I shrugged, her paranoia already wearing on me. "I opened a few books, learned a few charms, memorized a whole lot of facts."

"Where did you study?"

"Where I stayed over the summer."

"Where did you stay this summer?"

"With some friends."

Umbridge paused, and I swear, she turned a delicate shade of pink. It was almost too much. Then she pasted the smile back on her face. "Where were your parents at this time?"

My hands balled into fists for a moment as I fought to keep my face blank. "My parents died this summer, as I'm sure you heard." The story I was supposed to tell, even though my mother wasn't dead. _Yet_, a small voice added.

"Oh, poor dear. Their deaths were a terrible accident, no doubt."

"Yes. Very," I said through a clenched jaw.

"Now, can you tell me what you studied, dear?"

Breathing heavily, I swallowed. "Theory, mostly." _Lie. Lupin taught me how to conjure a patronus. And Sirius had tutored me in jinxes and counter-hexes..._

"Could you specify?"

I shook my head.

She let out a pitying sigh. "Well that is a shame." And she handed me a letter for McGonagall, the same as all the rest, save for the color of the seal.

_ Pink_, of course.

I was almost free as I opened the door to her office.

Then she cleared her throat. "I understand that losing a loved one can be _quite_ painful, and if you ever need someone to talk to, my door is always open." I'd barely turned around when she added, "And I have it from very good authority that the ministry is working hard on their case. We will find out what was behind their untimely deaths."

Even before Umbridge finished her sentence, I felt anger welling up inside of me, threatening to burst. When it did, I closed my eyes as every plate in her office burst into tiny shards. The meowing died swiftly as she let out a shriek, cringing as the debris cleared.

Umbridge said nothing as she wrote a second letter for McGonagall, this one quite a bit longer. Once it was sealed, she sent me on my way, glaring the whole time.

_Bitch_.

I stomped to McGonagall's office, muttering to myself the whole time. The halls were crowded but I barely noticed anyone around. Most of my attention was on the parchment in my hand. The pink seal seemed to smile up at me mockingly.

Finally, I'd made it to her classroom, surprised to find it empty. She sat at the front of the room, directing the chalk over the board with her wand, writing formulas and names that I vaguely recognized.

"You're early," she said without turning around.

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me.

"How has your day been thus far?"

Shuffling my feet, I shrugged. "Good up until recently."

McGonagall turned around then, arms crossed as she surveyed my expression. "You just came from Defense Against the Dark Arts, am I correct?"

"Yes, Professor. Speaking of, I have a letter for you from Professor Umbridge."

"We will talk about it after your classes are—"

"No," I said miserably. "This one is different."

Her lips thinned considerably as she took the letter from my outstretched hand, tapping it irritably with her wand. I grew more nervous as she read, her eyes narrowing as she finished.

A few students began to meander in, watching us curiously. McGonagall glanced up at me, and then noticed them. "Well," she said, "Let us discuss this in my office, shall we?"

I followed her through a door at the front of the room into a smaller room filled with books. Of _course_ her room was filled with books. She sat down behind her desk, gesturing me to sit in the chair opposite her.

"Gingersnap?" she asked, thrusting the pan of cookies towards me.

"No thank you," I said quietly.

"Have one."

I grabbed one, deciding it would be better not to argue.

"Professor Umbridge wrote that you blew up half of her office," she said, surveying me with a calculating look.

"I didn't do it on purpose—"

"That is not the question I asked," she said pointedly.

"Yes," I said quietly.

"And you are aware of the delicate situation with the ministry?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "Then I expect you to be much more careful in the future, no matter what is said in your presence."

I nodded, standing.

"She decreed a week's worth of detention, either to be served with myself or Professor Snape."

"A week?" I asked. Then I frowned. "_Not_ with her?"

"I suspect she values her things too highly to try your patience again," McGonagall said, her lips twitching slightly. "Take this note to Professor Snape. Now, let's get back to class, shall we?"

After transfiguration was over, McGonagall made no move to talk to me after class, so I ran up to Gryffindor tower to take the shower I'd missed earlier that day. When I went down to the common room, Fred and George were waiting for me.

"Where are we going?" Fred asked, smiling at my wet hair.

"Why do I get to choose?" I asked.

"You're the new student of course," George said. "The castle is your clam."

"Oyster," I corrected, laughing. "Ok, I wanted to go to the library—" They both groaned. I ignored them. "To get a copy of Quidditch through the ages."

"Oy, why didn't you just say that then?" George said.

"Come, milady, let us away!" Fred said.

By the end of free period, I hurried off to potions, glad when one of the second years pointed me in the right direction. Almost as soon as I grabbed a seat in the back of the room, Snape himself burst into the room, robes billowing behind him theatrically.

I tried hard not to smirk.

"I do not expect many of you to do _remotely_ well in this class," he began, and I swear, I saw a few first years cower.

But I soon became entranced by the lecture, thankful that his little pop quiz didn't involve calling on me, even though I was fairly sure I knew all of the answers. After the quiz, though, there was little class participation. I felt guilty to admit it to myself, but I found it fascinating, and all too soon, class was over.

"Miss Dumbledore," he called out. I came to the front of the class where Snape sat, correcting some upper level summer homework. As his quill scrawled angrily across the page, I couldn't help but feel a little pity towards whomever he was grading.

"Where can one find a bezoar and what are the most practical uses for it?" he asked.

"A bezoar is found in the belly of a goat, and its most common use is as an antidote for most poisons," I replied without missing a beat.

He continued grading the paper in front of him, not meeting my eyes. "And what is the key ingredient in the draught of living death?"

"Powdered root of asphodel and an infusion of wormwood."

"And what can be used as an additive in Amortentia should the maker wish for a more subtle effect?"

I bit my lip. "I think the additive is peppermint."

"You think or you know?" he asked, flipping the parchment over to the next essay.

"Peppermint."

Finally meeting my eyes, he nodded.

It didn't stop there, of course, and I knew that had it not been the end of the day, I would have missed half of my next class. At least.

Snape's questions ranged from the general effects of certain ingredients to the wand movements required of dangerous potions, to the lengths of time it took to brew various serums, to methods of cutting porcupine needles versus eye of newt.

"And what color should Felix Felicis be approximately fifty minutes into preparation?"

I raised my eyebrows, fairly certain that the question he'd just asked was at sixth year level. And of course, I didn't know the answer. By this time, Snape had put away the essays, focusing his attention on me as he clasped his hands. He waited patiently as I racked my mind for a color… I'd read about that potion over the summer, and I knew the basic list of ingredients, but for the life of me, I didn't know.

"Mauve or Royal purple," I said, not bothering to add "I think," at the end of the statement.

Snape made an odd expression, grabbing a roll of parchment and writing on it.

My shoulders sagged slightly. "I was wrong."

"The answer was Royal Purple," he said, again without looking up at me. Tapping the parchment with his wand, it rolled up and a black seal shined on it. "You no doubt made use of your free time this summer. I am placing you in fifth year potions; you must take your O.W.L. before I let you go any further.

_That was almost a compliment._.. I smiled, and for a moment it seemed as if he was about to do the same.

Then he cleared his throat. "I would like you to know that your status in my class is probationary. I do not have the time to test you on practical preparation, and if that area of your skills is lacking, I will have no choice to demote you as I see fit. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir," I said.

"Well then, shall we head down to Professor McGonagall's office?" he said, almost politely.

Then I remembered. "Um, one more thing," I said, handing him the parchment that McGonagall had read earlier.

Snape's face, which had miraculously become less angry than usual, fell back into a blank mask. Then his eyes glinted angrily. "That was very foolish." His voice didn't rise at all in volume, but it took on a dangerous quality that gave me goose bumps.

"I know."

"And you react this way every time someone angers you?"

"No one's made me so angry since my magic was…unbound."

"Not even over the summer?"

"Well, there was you," I said honestly.

He cocked an eyebrow. "What, _exactly_ happened?"

I hesitated, silence engulfing us both.

"Katarina, I have no time for—"

"She brought my parents," I muttered.

He watched me for a moment and then sighed. "You will serve a week's detention with me, down here. I want you to report here immediately after dinner every night, starting tonight."

I nodded, sulking as I made my way to McGonagall's office alone. She evaluated my teachers' letters, and handed me a new schedule.

_**History of Magic (fifth year)**_

_**Herbology (fourth year)**_

_**Charms (fourth year)**_

_**Free Period**_

_**Lunch**_

_**Defense Against the Dark Arts (first year)**_

_**Free Period**_

_**Potions (fifth year)**_

_**Transfiguration (fifth year)**_

I'd done better than I thought in most classes, but Snape's anger somehow eclipsed whatever success I'd had so far.

At dinner, I went over my first day.

"Where's your schedule?" Hermione asked, beaming with pride. "Let me see it."

I handed it to her.

"How was Defense?" Harry asked darkly.

I shook my head. "I have a week of detention to serve with Snape," I said, earning pitying looks from everyone.

"What happened?" Angelina asked.

"I blew up half her office."

They all broke out into laughter. I smiled reluctantly, admitting that there was a silver lining.

"Oh, that'll make my detention tonight better," Harry said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"This is odd," Hermione piped up, still engulfed in my schedule. "Defense against the dark arts, it's the only subject where you're still at first year level."

"That's bullocks," Fred said angrily.

"I'm not surprised," Harry said. "I mean, the woman wants to keep us as dumb as possible. It's like she doesn't want us to be able to defend ourselves."

"I don't care." I said, sighing as I finally began to pour mashed potatoes and chicken onto my plate. "It's not like I'd learn much anyways."

My schedule was passed around a few times, and I was thoroughly congratulated by the time Fred got it.

"Bloody awful," he muttered, glaring at the small parchment.

"What?" I asked, trying to see what had made him so upset.

"We don't share a free period anymore."

"No!" Hermione piped up. "But _we_ do! All four of us!" She gestured to Harry and Ron. "It'll be great! We can go to the library and work on essays!"

I smiled earnestly as Ron made gagging noises next to her. "Sounds like a blast. I do have a lot of catching up to do, and every teacher asked me to write an essay due Monday as a condition of skipping a few years." I grimaced at the thought.

"That _plus_ detention?" George said, frowning, "That'll take away from our work time."

I shrugged, glancing around. "Oh crap, speaking of…"

Harry and I hurried from the Great Hall together, wishing each other luck—I couldn't help but think I'd gotten the better end of the deal as I thought of the terrible methods Umbridge used. Thank god I'd pissed her off enough…

As I reached the door to the potions classroom I shivered, the air cold around me. _Maybe Snape would be nice to me_, I thought. Then I pushed away the ridiculous notion. The whole detention would probably be something disgusting and relatively pointless, like cleaning out his storage closet without magic.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked.

*****

**_Reviews! I'll make you a deal: The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update (AKA I'll post the next chapter when I get 70 reviews total...other wise it'll be at least a week). I know enough people are reading this to get that many!_**

**_PLEASE guys, they really make me write a lot more faster, which makes us all more happy. _**

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**_Thanks ahead of time :D _**


	12. Chapter 12

**_I am SO sorry you guys! I know I said I'd post after you hit 70 comments! Here is the chapter, as promised. _**

**_Happy Birthday Harry!! And Happy Birthday to JK Rowling!! _**

**_Remember to review cause it makes me happy. No limit this time, though. I'll try to update within the week. _**

**_Oh, one more thing. There was a review asking if there was any time travel involved with Kat. The answer is no. I'm taking my own poetic liberties with this one, folks: I've set the HP universe in the present. _**

**Disclaimer: Oh Jeez. Not JK, otherwise I'd be way more awesome!**

*****

Chapter 12:

Snape led me in, gesturing for me to sit down at his desk. The dungeons were somewhat creepier at night, an eerie haunted feel about them, and I was glad I'd brought my sweater as I shivered slightly. Glass jars filled with slimy things and dried plants lined his office, and his desk was absolutely covered with parchment. Summer homework, I guessed.

"Why don't you get an upper level student to correct the lower level homework so you can have time to, I dunno, breathe?"

He sat down and immediately grabbed a quill. "I don't trust the blundering fools at this school to grade a multiple choice quiz, let alone an essay," he muttered, scribbling a few notes on one parchment and setting it aside. Then he put down the quill and stared blandly at me.

I stared back.

"I've no doubt that Dolores Umbridge has very unsavory methods of disciplining students, so you'd better count your blessings that you will be serving this week of detention with me."

Oh, I was absolutely _gushing_ with gratitude.

He waited for a smartass response. When none came, he continued. "While I stand by my previous statement that what you did earlier today was _beyond_ irresponsible, I do not believe your time would be well spent cleaning my storage cabinet or writing lines."

I frowned. "So what _will_ I be doing?" My face lit up. "Will I get to work on my assignments?"

His gaze darkened. "Absolutely not."

My face fell. "You're right, that was way too optimistic."

Snape stood, seeming to ignore my comment, and walked over to a bookshelf, grabbing a large, dusty book without even glancing at the title. He dropped it in front of me, and I raised my eyebrows, afraid to say anything.

"Due to your aptitude for it as well as a very practical need, I will be tutoring you in occlumency. These detentions will serve as the beginnings of our lessons, which hereafter will be held weekly."

I was torn between excitement and dread—on one hand, occlumency _would_ be useful to me, and it had always been fascinating. On the other, Harry's lessons had been... _catastrophic_, to say the least, and I needed all the extra time outside of classes to concentrate on a workload that was triple anything I'd had to do in America.

But Snape didn't care about any of that. He lectured me on the basic mindset of a good occlumens, and the basic procedures of learning occlumency. Just as in potions, I was completely intrigued, and before either of us knew it, the clock struck ten.

"No practical stuff today?" I asked, hand lingering near where my wand was—it had been there all evening. I was paranoid that Snape would suddenly test me, but he did nothing of the sort, and I was very thankful.

"This week will be purely theory. It's important that you understand that the mind is not simply a parcel to be opened. It's a series of puzzles, a labyrinth of sorts, and one must have patience to understand how to close off their thoughts."

I nodded eagerly, scooping up the book after he dismissed me.

"Read the first chapter for tomorrow. I want you to be able to give me a _very_ good summery of it, or I will resort to assigning you essay, which I'm sure you've had quite enough of already."

"Yes professor," I said, grinning like an eager kid.

As the door closed, Snape stared after me as though I was mentally unstable.

I probably was.

**

The next morning I was the first awake, dragging the occlumency book from my bag and beginning the chapter. Satisfied that I could give an accurate summery later that night, I put away my well-worn first-year books, knowing that the majority of my teachers would have new ones for me later that day. But I skimmed through a little of Advanced Defensive Spells, a book Snape had bought me near the end of the summer, before taking a shower.

As I rinsed off, I suspected that at some point my brain would overheat from all the new information I was trying to cram into it, but my complete glee at being able to study magic made me stifle the notion. I had more plans too, and none of them involved taking a break from schoolwork. Before breakfast, I told Angelina I'd be a little late to the Great Hall and slipped down to Professor McGonagall's office, hoping that she was awake.

I was right. She seemed to be organizing notes, oddly cheerful in the morning sun. It streamed into her office, creating obnoxious bright, warm spots.

"May I help you Miss Dumbledore?" she called without looking up.

I raised my eyebrows. _Damn_, Hogwarts teachers were on their toes.

"Actually professor, I was hoping that since I placed into classes above third year levels—mostly—" I corrected, and she snorted slightly. I knew we both thought it was bogus that Umbridge hadn't moved we up a few levels. "Maybe I could add an elective class?"

McGonagall watched me thoughtfully. "I'm sure you'd do well in Arithmacy," she said. "Or perhaps care of magical creatures?"

I shook my head, even though the second one was tempting. "Actually, I was thinking that maybe I could take divination."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Surely you're not serious?"

"_Quite_," I said, my voice a tad more sarcastic than it should have been.

"Many wizards believe divination to be nothing more than a few correct hypothesis," she said, making it clear that she shared their sentiments.

"I thought that given my obvious predisposition for it, I might as well learn a bit of the basics…" My voice trailed off at the hesitant look on her face.

"I'm sorry Miss Dumbledore, but I'm afraid given the delicate situation regarding your, er, gift, you'll have to speak with your grandfather about it."

I stalked off to Dumbledore's office then, stomach growling as I passed the Great Hall. I was so hungry, but I couldn't afford to miss class. I muttered the password to the stone gargoyle, stomping up the stairs and hoping, with much less certainty, that he would still be there.

"Enter."

_Ok_. I walked in to find Dumbledore sitting patiently at his desk.

"Ah, Katarina," he said. "How are you this morning?"

"Hungry," I answered bluntly, taking a seat on the armchair across from his.

"And yet you skip breakfast," he said, cocking an eyebrow as he smiled.

Someone else knocked, and Snape entered, looking irritated as ever.

"Headmaster I—good morning Katarina," he said, glancing from Dumbledore to me.

"Katarina wanted to ask me something, I believe," Dumbledore said politely. Snape nodded, standing next to me.

"Can I take divination?" I asked.

"I don't believe that's the best idea—" Snape began.

"That would be marvelous," Dumbledore said, smiling.

Snape's mouth remained open as he turned to Dumbledore, frowning.

"Headmaster, should she really learn from a woman who makes a complete _mockery_ of seers?"

"Professor Trelawney's gift is real, Severus, as you well know," Dumbledore said, his tone dropping just the smallest bit in pitch.

Snape nodded reluctantly and Dumbledore wrote a quick note, sealing it before handing it to me, of course.

"Take this to Professor Trelawney. If it is alright with her, and you are willing to give up one free period for three times a week, I have no problems with you taking divination as long as you continue to take the potion your uncle gave you."

"Bring the vial to next lesson," Snape added, looking livid. "If you've been taking the proper dosage, you should need more before the week is out."

"Yes sir," I said, trying not to show my elation, "and thanks, Professor Dumbledore."

He nodded at me, his blue eyes glowing slightly as Snape sat down, seeming as though he would not let the divination issue go so easily. "If you're quick, you can still make it to breakfast," he called after me.

I let out a laugh as I ran to breakfast just in time to make an egg sandwich, ignoring Fred and George's curious looks. The food on the plates disappeared as I put a little cheese on the bread, planning on eating it on my way to History of Magic.

Hermione raised her eyebrows as I crammed the sandwich into my mouth.

"Wha?" I asked through a mouthful of egg. "M hung'y"

She shook her head. "I was going to tell you how proud you should be of yourself, considering the time you had to prepare and the grades you skipped."

I swallowed. "Aw, thanks Hermione. Couldn't have done it without you." And I took another bite.

"You're actually really lucky," Harry said. "You've got classes either with us or Ginny."

"No, she has charms with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff," Hermione pointed out.

"At least I'll have Luna," I said, ignoring Ron's face.

"How'd you get into fifth year history of magic?" Ron asked as we sat down. "I'm amazed that_ I_ even made it this far."

"We _all_ are, Ron," Hermione muttered, the only one of us taking out a quill and parchment.

Ron threw her a look and I grinned, blushing.

"I just found the stories really intriguing," I said, shrugging. "I read my text books, and Snape bought me a few extra books on magical history when I asked."

"How many books did you _read_ this summer?" he asked, frowning.

"Dunno," I said._ At least 20_, I admitted to myself.

"How long does it even take you to read one of 'em?"

"A day, tops," I said.

Ron sighed, shaking his head. "The one time Hogwarts gets a cool foreigner, she turns out to be Hermione's long lost sister or something."

Hermione smirked as Harry laughed.

I read our textbook through history of magic, easily tuning out the dull tenor of Binn's voice. Harry and Ron passed me a few notes, and I smirked, writing back a few times. Herbology was a lot harder though—my hands on experience with magical plants was obviously low. Thankfully, Professor Sprout was patient with me, and Ginny partnered up with me, taking care to explain the more difficult aspect of venomous tactaculas and the like.

Just as I'd suspected, Luna and I immediately got along when I got to charms. I greeted her even though no one had ever introduced us, and she responded with a kind smile and a comment about nargles. We sat together and I asked about the Quibbler, jealous of her cool experiences and vacations, even if she was searching for nonexistent animals. I even got a year subscription to the Quibbler.

After charms, I slipped off to Trelawney's room, hoping that she wouldn't be busy. At first I was afraid of getting lost, but once I caught a whiff of heavy incense and perfume, I knew I was heading in the right direction. I climbed up the latter and glanced around at the scarf-covered lamps, and spotted Trelawney in the back, levitating crystal balls onto each table.

She jumped when she saw me, clutching her chest. Her eyes magnified through huge glasses, she really did resemble a large insect clothed in scarves. "One should not startle a seer," she said, her voice taking on an airy tone. "Our connection to the present is thin."

"My apologies," I said, trying not to laugh. "I'm a new student here and I was wondering if I could take your class."

"I know," she said majestically, standing with a flourish. "Unfortunately, I cannot accommodate others schedules, and—"

"I have a letter from the headmaster," I said, thrusting it into her palm.

With a small frown, she scanned it. "Well then," she said, seeming a bit affronted that her decision had been so easily overruled. "It seems as though you have another free period today that coincides with my fifth years, but I cannot let you into such an advanced class unless I am confident you have the _inner eye._" Her voice dropped drastically with the last two words and I nodded.

"Completely understandable," I said, biting my lip.

"Sit dear, sit," she said, ushering me to the neared table. A crystal ball stood in the middle, clouds floating around in it as it glowed oddly. "Please tell me what you see. Take your time."

Peering into the depths, I glanced back at Trelawney. "Pardon, Professor, but what exactly should I be doing?"

"Oh yes. Well, take a deep breath, calm yourself, and close your eyes. Try to imagine your body as floating as an ethereal being in the heavens, _naught_ but spirit, one that can see _all_."

I frowned.

_Right_.

Maybe she _was_ crazy. It was too late now, though, so I took a deep breath and followed her instructions, minus the floating part.

My face must have looked different at that point, because Trelawney muttered, "now open them."

I did, disappointed when I saw more clouds. They were darker than ever, and I almost growled in frustration.

Then something moved, and the clouds began to take shape as my head pounded in frustration. My pulse quickened as I leaned in, gasping as a large room came into focus. I recoiled slightly when I saw Sirius falling in slow motion into the veil at the ministry. I covered my mouth, gasping when the scene changed rapidly to a dark night outside of Hogwarts. Dumbledore's lifeless body dropped like a limp doll from the astronomy tower, and my stomach clenched as the dark mark hovered above the castle.

As Snape's disgusted face came into focus, I stood, the chair falling to the floor as I stifled tears.

"What? What did you see, my child?"

I cleared my throat. "I um," I licked my lips, trying to compose myself. I'd seen their fates before. There was nothing new. But seeing it, really seeing it, made my skin crawl. _Get a hold of yourself, Kat,_ I chided.

Then I adopted a face of horror, hoping I was semi-good at acting. "I saw the grim," I said, raising my voice theatrically.

Her face broke out into a large smile. "You have it, Miss Dumbledore! You have the inner eye!"

"Don't I know it," I muttered a few minutes later, climbing down the ladder.

When I found Hermione, she was already in a bad mood.

"_Why_ are you late?" she snapped, earning a look from Madame Pince.

"I decided to take an extra class," I said, pulling out my transfiguration textbook and jotting a few words down with my pen (I was still struggling with quills).

Ron sighed as Hermione perked up. "Really? What class?"

"Divination," I said. "With you two, I think," I said, pointing at Harry and Ron.

Harry raised his eyebrows as Ron snorted with laughter.

Hermione's face fell.

"What's the matter, Hermione?" I asked innocently.

"Nothing," she said, clearing her throat as she opened her book.

"She thinks Divination is rubbish is all," Ron said, hand over his mouth at Hermione's face. She glared at him and his laughter died down to a coughing fit, and Harry smirked at his open book.

"Now," she said, pretending the whole thing hadn't happened. "I've drawn up study schedules for all of us, and Kat, don't think that you won't have to work as hard just because you're only taking three—sorry, _four_ O.W.L. examinations. They're designed to—Oh what _now_?" she cried as a pair of hands closed over my eyes.

"Guess who?"

"Knock it off, Fred," I said.

His hands lifted immediately with a chuckle as Hermione sat, fuming.

"Don't you have class right now?" Ron asked.

Fred shrugged as George walked in. "Bathroom break."

Ron raised his eyebrows, but the twins promptly ignored him.

"So Kat, Angelina wanted us to let you know we'd be waking up early tomorrow since you're such a morning person and you have detention all week," Fred said.

"We're _very_ proud of you for that, by the way," George added.

I frowned. "What? _Why_?"

George grinned. "She wants to find out if you're any good at Quidditch."

"Can we come?" Ron called, suddenly eager.

The twins ignored him.

"Ugh, why is she so insistent on this?" I whined, scrunching my nose up in distaste.

"Dunno," George said cheerfully.

"But you seem to be pretty good at everything else you've tried so far," Fred added.

"Oy! Can we come?" Ron said, frowning.

Madam Pince glared in our direction.

"Ron, didn't you hear them?" Hermione asked, eyes narrowed. "They're meeting in the _early morning_. You wake up five minutes before breakfast starts."

"Yeah, but this is Quidditch. Harry and I are in."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Ron, _why_ are you volunteering me?"

Ron looked at him imploringly. "It's _Quidditch_, Harry."

After another moment Harry finally nodded, sighing.

George shrugged. "Fine, but don't get too hopeful, little brother. You still have to go through tryouts. Just cause you have friends and family on the team doesn't mean you're automatically in."

"I _know_ that," Ron said, glaring.

Fred raised his eyebrows. "Sure you do." Then he smiled at me. "See you at dinner."

"What about lunch?" Hermione called after them.

"Oh, we'll be busy, doing various things," George started.

"At various locations," Fred finished.

I laughed as Hermione fumed.

"I swear, those two need to learn that they can't just ignore the rules," she muttered, flipping through her book.

"Yes, cause this is _much_ more fun than breaking the rules," Ron said under his breath.

"What Ron?" Hermione snapped.

"Nothing," he said quickly.

Harry and I smirked, staying wisely silent.

*****

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	13. Chapter 13

**_Hey! Just a few announcements!! _**

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*****

Chapter 13:

I woke up the next morning when a pile of clothes collided with my head.

"Wha' happened?" I grumbled, sitting up immediately. The sun was low in the sky, barely rising over the horizon. As soon as I realized I didn't need to be awake yet, I laid back down, rolling over and pulling the quilt over my head.

"No no no, Kat, you need to wake up," Angelina called, dragging the quilt away from me. She was fully dressed in Quidditch robes.

"_Why_?" I whined.

"We're testing out your Quidditch skills today!" she said, a brilliant smile on her face.

"And I wish you all the best," I said, covering my face with a pillow.

"Up!" and the clothes began to hit my head and fall to the bed repeatedly.

"You are _Satan_," I mumbled, grabbing the clothes in resignation.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing."

It was barely light out by the time we met the trio, Ginny, and the twins in the common room (Harry had invited Ginny and Hermione insisted on watching), and we all headed down the Quidditch pitch.

I yawned, stretching as Harry and Ron started arguing about the Chudley Cannons, and Fred smirked.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You're not much of a morning person, are you?" he said.

"Don't let her fool you," Angelina said, scowling slightly. "She was the first awake yesterday."

I groaned. "Delirious excitement gave way to complete exhaustion this morning."

"Huh," Fred said. "Are you one of those Americans completely addicted to coffee?"

"And I'm _completely_ transparent too, apparently."

As I gradually woke up, I started to appreciate the beautiful scenery laid out before me; unkempt grass shot out of the ground, still shining in the morning dew as the sun created a silhouette backdrop of the mountains and forests surrounding the school.

"Don't get too excited, Angelina," I said, stretching again. "I've never been that great at sports except for track. Running is all I'm good at. Throw a ball into the equation and it all falls apart."

"I have faith in you," she said, looking ahead determinedly.

"Meaning she's _desperate_ for some good players this year," George clarified.

"So you're a fast runner?" Fred asked as Angelina punched George in the arm.

I shrugged. "I guess."

He grinned, raising his eyebrows. "Wanna race?"

"Now? I haven't stretched and—"

"First to the goalposts wins," he said, pointing. The field was far off, but I'd long since been able to see the outlines of the stands and goalposts. "Unless... you're afraid I'd beat you."

I broke out into a run then, darting past Harry and Ron as Ginny cheered me on. I could hear Fred not far behind me, and all too soon we were side by side.

"That was cheating you know," he said, glancing my way.

"You'll survive."

"Let me show you how we run here in Europe," he said, passing me up.

I rolled my eyes, smiling despite myself, and sped up. The familiarity of my own gait had finally set in, and it was easy to push myself harder, until I was flying. I passed Fred easily, reaching the goal posts a full two seconds before him.

For a moment we both stood panting, but as soon as I caught my breath I let out a peal of laughter.

"Not bad," he gasped, "for a girl."

"She kicked your arse, mate," Harry said, running up to us.

Ron followed quickly after, chuckling, as the girls caught up.

"Impressive," Angelina said, throwing me a broom as George handed Fred's to him. "Let's see how you fly up _there_."

They gave me the run down on the basics of riding a broom, most of which I'd already gathered. It seemed like common sense to me, but from the look on Hermione's face I guessed it must have been more than I thought.

"I'll be right next to you the whole time though, so if something happens, don't worry," Fred said, right as we prepared to take to the sky.

I smirked, patting him on the shoulder. "I think I'll be fine."

I planted my feet after mounting the broom, pressing hard on the ground as if I were jumping. I gasped and tightened my hold on the handle as the broom rose… and rose. Soon I was high up in the sky, Harry whirring around in the air next to me. I smiled, fear abating, and followed suit.

It was even better than I'd ever imagined, and I felt as though there was nothing more exhilarating than flying. I dove and turned and spun, blushing when Ginny whooped.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron said, right in front of the goalposts.

Angelina was beaming. "Nice work. You're almost as good as Potter."

"_Almost_?" Harry said, smiling as he stopped in front of us. "She could fly circles around me with a little practice."

I grinned. "I'm not sure about that."

"Let's see which position we can put you in," Angelina said, all business again.

"Wait. _What_? You made it sound like I'm already on the team," I said, my voice too high.

She cocked an eyebrow. "You are. Let's just see where on the team you _belong_." With that, she dove to the ground, where the chest George retrieved from the team locker room sat in the center of the field.

I turned to Fred for back up; I couldn't possibly already be on the team. But he was grinning too.

"This," Angelina said, holding the Quaffle, "is a—"

"She knows the protocol, Ang," George said.

"She read through Quidditch Through The Ages the other day during free period," Fred finished.

Ron's eyes lit up. "Now _that's_ a book."

Almost disappointed that Hermione was sitting in the stands reading, I stifled a smirk.

"Good. Then you know what to do. We're going to work together to try to get this Quaffle past Ron. You're trying out for keeper this year, right?" she said, turning to him.

"Um, I—I guess I—"

"Yes," Harry said.

Angelina nodded. "Take your post then, Weasley."

Ron nodded, flying off to the right goals, and turned towards us, his face a beet red. _Oh yeah_, I remembered. This wouldn't be the best year for him…

"—and try to get the ball through any of the hoops," Angelina said.

I bit my lip, hoping I hadn't missed too much, and nodded. "Ball through the hoop. Right."

She frowned slightly, but started to approach the hoop, flying alongside me with the Quaffle. She flew away, and threw the ball towards me. I dove, catching the ball and dropping it, nearly falling from my broom in the process.

"That's ok," she said, her tone implying otherwise. "It's your first try. It'll get easier."

But after six more attempts, I'd missed the ball four times, and dropped it twice while flying.

_Couldn't we have started out with catch or something? _I thought desperately, embarrassment flooding through me.

"Here, Harry," Angelina said, breathing deeply as she avoided my gaze. "Why don't you practice with the snitch for a while?" She released it, and Harry threw one last pitying look my way before dashing off towards the invisible ball.

Then she turned to me. "Maybe you're a keeper."

I gulped a few minutes later, facing Ginny and Angelina as they whipped towards me, passing the Quaffle back and forth with speed and precision. Fred and George lingered next to Ron, watching with worried expressions.

Swallowing, I tried to keep my eyes on the ball, remembering only _after_ they'd thrown it exactly how disastrous the soccer portion of gym had been for me. I dived for the Quaffle, my arm smashing against the metal post. Yelping in pain, I let go of the broom and lost balance, falling promptly off with a shriek.

I grasped at the air as my body fell rapidly towards the ground, but even as I closed my eyes to brace myself for the inevitable crash landing, a hand grabbed my own, slowing my fall until I plopped gently on the ground. I opened my eyes then, surprised to see Fred and not Harry sitting next to me.

"Are you ok?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

"My arm," I said lamely.

He took it immediately, rolling up my sleeve to see that it was fine, save for the beginnings of a nasty bruise.

He smirked then, and I scowled momentarily.

"Fred, I—"

"I know, I know," he said, mounting his broom. "You'll be _fine_."

Angelina talked me back into the air, but no one was getting me close to the goal posts again.

"We could see if she's any good as a seeker," Angelina suggested after fifteen minutes of nothing. Harry and Ginny were at the other end of the pitch, throwing the Quaffle at Ron as he tried to dodge them.

"We've already _got_ the best seeker in half a century," Fred said, flying up to us with a mischievous smirk on his face.

He handed me a club then, and Angelina looked around sharply.

"You didn't release them!" she accused, just as a thud resounded behind me.

I whipped around to see George holding a matching club, and a large Bludger zooming right at my face. Without thinking, I waved the club, sending it the other way. George hit it away from us, grinning.

"What were you _thinking_!" I screamed, resisting the urge to hit Fred over the head with the club in my hand. Smirking, he took the club, probably reading the pissed expression on my face.

"Well, George and I thought,"

"That you would be,"

"Better at hitting things,"

"Than catching or throwing them."

Angelina was speechless, staring at the club in Fred's hand.

I took a breath, anger replaced with pride. At least I was good at _something_. "Is it because of all my pent up aggression?" I muttered finally.

"What do you mean, 'pent up'?" Fred said.

"We were just thinking 'aggression'," George finished.

I could only glare for a moment before laughing, and soon everyone was smiling.

Everyone, that is, except Angelina.

We stayed in the air for another half hour, Fred and George giving me tips on how to keep the Bludgers away from the right people as well as aiming them correctly. I'd improved greatly, and I'd had a ton of fun doing it. Ginny reminded us that Breakfast started soon, and we decided to pack up.

"This is bullocks," Angelina said as we landed on the ground.

Hermione closed the book she'd been reading and ran up to us.

"I don't get it," Harry said, jumping from the broom. "We found out that Kat is an amazing Beater. What's the problem?"

"The problem, Potter," Angelina started as we put the equipment back into the team locker room, "is that we already have two beaters. Twins. Unless they plan on allowing our team a third beater, and I _very_ much doubt that, we just wasted an entire morning."

I backed away as George rolled his eyes. Hermione had already backed out, and Ginny stayed silent, but Fred raised his eyebrows, ready to say something.

"Just count your blessings, Angelina," Harry said, beating Fred to the punch.

She let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl. "Exactly _what_ would those be, Potter?"

"She could have been sorted into another house and played against us all year."

Angelina stalked off, muttering something about the team as her hair trailed along behind her, and George quickly followed, bowing in our direction with a grin firmly on his lips.

"That was bloody brilliant," Ron said, landing next to me. "What'd I miss?"

"Git," Ginny muttered, rolling her eyes and walking away. Harry ran to catch up with her, dragging Ron with him, and I let out a small chuckle.

"That was... _interesting_," I said, glancing at Fred.

He shook his head. "Don't worry. Angelina will get over it. She's just taking this captain thing a bit too seriously."

I leaned against a locker. "As long as she doesn't freak out because I'm shit at every other position on the team."

"Too late," he said, grinning cheerfully.

I realized then that we were the only two left in the locker room. "Listen, Fred, about earlier, I just wanted to thank you for…"

"Saving your life?" he offered.

I scrunched up my nose. "That sounds melodramatic."

He shrugged. "For good reason. The pitch has enchantments on it. You might have broken something, but you wouldn't have died."

I laughed. "Great. Thanks for saving me from a… broken bone then, I guess."

He took a step towards me. "Any time."

And then his lips met mine, soft and gentle. He backed away quickly, and I blushed, smiling.

"Wow," he said, a wry smile crossing his features.

"Not what you imagined?" I asked, sure that I'd messed up somehow.

He shook his head. "Far better than I'd imagined."

Then we kissed again, fiercer, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, reveling in the thrill of his lips on mine.

"Oy, Fred, I forgot I need— Whoa, sorry to interrupt," Ron said, eyes wide.

We backed away from each other, guilty looks on both our faces. Fred looked pissed at Ron. I stifled laughter.

"What do you _want_, Ron?" he said.

"Just, I, my," and he leaned over, taking his wand from the bench next to me, smiling awkwardly as his ears turned red. "Ok," he said, "bye."

As Ron ran off, Fred turned to me again, just in time for my stomach to grumble loudly.

"Breakfast?" he offered with a smile.

I nodded, too embarrassed to say anything. But as we made our way back to the castle, he held my hand, and I knew that waking up early had been worth it.

*****

**_What do you think? Too much fluff? I promise the next chapter will be full of plot and such, but people wanted more Fred! And I've been waiting a while to write this scene :D It turned out a bit longer then intended, but eh, can't complain :D _**

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**_Again, thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed!_**


	14. Chapter 14

**_Hey! Guess what? I'm twenty! Woot! B-day on the 15 :) Sorry for not uploading in a while. I still love you guys!!!_**

**Disclaimer: Ok, I totally own the HP universe. Aw man, I suck at lying...**

*****

Chapter 14:

My schedule was overwhelming, but I made it work. I finally finished out detentions with Snape, and he told me I was progressing very well with Occlumency. All of my teachers thought I was "doing a marvelous job adapting to the grueling schedule at Hogwarts," or at least that was what McGonagall gushed to me one day after class. I smiled, not letting her know that I'd had a breakdown my first Saturday there. Fred had talked me through it, tolerating my wordless sobbing.

"I'm going to fail at everything, I just know it," I gasped out, hiccupping as Fred rubbed my back.

"No, you're not," he said. "You're doing great, and so long as you learn that you don't have to get straight O's in everything, you'll stop stressing."

He sat with me all afternoon, and I woke up at three in the morning with my head on his lap in the Gryffindor common room.

"I'm sorry," I said, blushing.

He smiled. "It's nothing."

I frowned, standing up. "No, it's not nothing. It's unnatural and weird, and I'm sorry that I freaked out."

"You're under a lot of stress, and—where are you going?"

"Upstairs. I need to think. Sorry."

I ran up to the dorm room, sparing one last glance in Fred's direction; he gaped after me, and I blushed harder, quickening my pace. I couldn't believe I'd freaked out in front of him after dating him for barely half a week. So I did what any reasonable girl in my position would have done.

I avoided him.

Other than that, things began to wind down as the days wore on. My obsessive reading throughout the summer had paid off, and once I'd finished my entrance essays for each class, I learned which ones to prioritize and which ones to… take a nap in. I focused in on Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, and a little bit on Herbology.

I sloughed off in History of magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Divination, and Astronomy. Binns put me to sleep, Umbridge wasn't _actually_ teaching, Astronomy wasn't interesting enough, but I occasionally paid attention in Divination; I was getting an O in the class, much to Harry's irritation. I sat with him and Ron, gasping every few classes and proclaiming that he had the grim.

"_Please_ don't say I have the grim today," Harry pleaded with me one rainy Wednesday at lunch

I pouted as Fred sat next to me and scooted a bit away from him. "Where's the fun in that?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've just been having a bad day, ok?"

It looked like it. His hair messier than ever, there were small hints of blue under his eyes.

"Been having any weird dreams lately?" I asked.

Harry said nothing, only frowning in my direction, suspicion in his eyes.

"I think it's funny," Ron said, pouring a second helping of stew into his bowl. "But it _is_ getting on his nerves."

"Alright alright," I said, taking a bite of bread. "I'll lay off. But just for today."

"I still don't understand why you're taking divination," Hermione said, half-angry as she pulled out her large runes textbook.

"Yeah, you act like Hermione did before she dropped it," Ron said.

Hermione frowned as Ron smirked.

I shrugged, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "I like Trelawney," I said. "She's _absolutely_ batty."

"That's a good thing?" Ron asked, frowning.

"It's entertaining, at least," I said.

Hermione snorted.

"Hey Kat," Fred said finally.

I groaned internally.

"Could I talk to you for a moment?"

I gathered my things and glanced mournfully at my half-eaten stew. "You know, I'd love to, but I have to… ask Snape about… a potions thing."

Fred's cynical look followed me to Defense against the dark arts when I realized miserably that I was over ten minutes early.

_Go figure._

*****

"Today, we're going to review crystal balls for the last time before moving on to dreams," Trelawney said majestically, walking through the room with her scarves heavily clad around her. True, the biting cold of autumn had set in, but wasn't she overdoing it just a bit?

There was a collective sigh as everyone began to drag out their books, and slowly the class peered into the crystal balls in the center of each table.

"Alright," I said, clapping my hands together and looking at Ron and Harry. "Who wants to go first?"

Ron raised an eyebrow at me as Harry frowned, closing his eyes in obvious pain.

I sighed.

"I guess that means me," I said, peering into the large crystal ball. There was a large group of clouds and fog, but nothing else. I tried for a moment to mentally push them aside, to clear my mind, but, as usual, a headache settled in before I could see anything.

Snape's potion was working, and besides thwarting any accidental dream visions, I knew it had prevented me from any non-accidental ones. The only reason I'd seen anything on the first day was because I'd already seen it—every time I pushed through a headache in divination, it was something I already knew. Just a more vivid version of it. So I pretended.

But today I was tired. So I leaned back and shrugged.

"Did you see something?" Ron asked.

I shrugged. "I have a headache."

"Come on," he said, glancing over at Trelawney. "She wants us to write down what we see. She's collecting our group parchment at the end of class."

"You're going to lose a quill, Ron. _Beware_."

He rolled his eyes as Harry smirked, leaning in. "Yeah, I see it too. How long till class is over?"

"An hour," I said, stretching and getting out my own quill.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked.

"Potions essay."

"Oh bullocks, here she comes."

I stuffed the potions essay under a book just in time, Trelawney approaching us with a deep smile.

"Ah, two of my brightest students," she said, appraising Harry and myself.

I stifled a snort of laughter, Harry rolling his eyes as Ron scowled.

"What have you seen today?" she asked.

I glanced at Harry apologetically before letting my face fall into a pained expression. "The grim," I said dramatically.

Trelawney's smile faltered. "Is that all?"

My face fell. "What?"

She quickly miscalculated my crestfallen look and pat me on the shoulder. "I don't mean to discourage you, but in order to develop the inner eye, one must press beyond mere outlines of the future and attempt to discern the details."

I frowned as Harry yawned.

"Here, close your eyes,"

I did.

"Take a deep breath."

I took a very, very deep breath.

"Now what do you see?"

I opened my eyes. "Death is looming," I started dramatically.

Trelawney urged me onwards.

"It lurks within the g—" but then I heard a loud shriek. I glanced up, frowning, and looked around, confused when no one turned to look.

"Did you hear that?" I said.

Harry and Ron shook their heads, but Trelawney clapped her hands together. "It is the inner eye, my child. Look further."

My head started to throb even as I closed my eyes once more, clearing my thoughts in earnest.

"Now open them, and stare into the crystal ball. Let its purity clear your mind, and let nothing in but the future."

For once I fully listened to her, the headache growing immeasurably as I pressed through the fog, hearing the scream once more.

Harry and Ron leaned forwards, but they seemed miles away as a scene came into focus.

_A dark haired woman stood in a marble room that was dark save for torchlight. Everything around her looked expensive. She stared at someone with calculating eyes._

_"Lucius, she's been here for a week. The dark lord has commanded it."_

_Footsteps, and then a familiar drawling voice. "I thought he would come."_

_Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. "He hasn't. You must do it. Now."_

_Lucius nodded and opened a large door leading to a dark hallway. They took their time, screams meeting their ears long before they'd reached the cell._

_"Please, please no more," someone gasped. My mother._

_Wormtail stood over her, wand out, as Lucius strode in. His silver hand tightened automatically even as his eyes fell to the ground in a gesture of respect._

_Lucius sneered. "It seems our little test has worked."_

_Wormtail's face lit up. "He's coming?"_

_Bellatrix snarled. "No you little cretin, he's not. The dark lord trusts him. We are to dispose of her."_

_My mother started to sob. "Please, no. I'll do anything."_

_Lucius waved his wand in an almost casual gesture and a green light momentarily enveloped the room. Something thumped to the ground and my mother lay there, sprawled, her face contorted in an eternal look of fear._

I stood up, barely aware that I'd overturned my chair, and realized the entire class was watching me.

Harry looked as if he'd just figured out a riddle, and Ron looked worried.

Trelawney was smiling. "What did you see?"

"I have to go," I choked out before grabbing my things and darting from the room.

Trelawney called after me as I ran away, but I ignored her. I had to find Snape. Though no one had mentioned time, I knew it was in the future.

I could stop it.

I burst through the doors of the potions room, Snape glancing up from one student's cauldron, anger melting into surprise as he saw my face.

"I have to talk to you," I said, my head pounding more than ever.

Snape nodded minutely, waving his wand as a small silver streak floated past me. "If any one of you so much as steps a toe out of line, you'll be pickling herbs without magic until Christmas."

He swooped out of the classroom and closed the door behind him. "What happened?"

"Mom's in trouble."

McGonagall walked up to us then, looking at Snape.

"Would you mind the classroom for a few minutes? I need to speak with the headmaster."

She nodded, heading in the dungeon as Snape turned and walked toward Dumbledore's office. I followed him wordlessly, trying to stifle my tears.

"You haven't been taking your potion?" he asked finally, as we approached the gargoyle.

"I have," I said. "I pushed through it." I held my head then, moaning in pain, and Snape stopped.

"That can cause severe ramifications," he said. Then he muttered the password and the gargoyle jumped aside.

"Enter," Dumbledore said.

Snape had me sit down, as Dumbledore eyed us both. "Severus?" he said.

"Kat has developed a resistance to the potion. She had a vision of Rose."

Dumbledore nodded, pushing a cup of tea toward me. "Drink," he said.

I did, wincing in pain, but after a sip, nausea overwhelmed me.

"I see that you're feeling the aftereffects," Dumbledore said gently. "I do not wish to keep you. What did you see?"

"She's at Malfoy manor," I said immediately. "They're keeping her there, and they're going to kill her."

"How do you know this hasn't already occurred?" Snape asked sharply.

"I just know," I muttered.

"You just know? How astounding your powers must be," he said sarcastically.

"If we don't help her, she's going to die!" I screamed, slamming the tea cup down.

"Be that as it may, we can't be certain of the validity of your vision," Dumbledore said delicately.

"You don't trust me?"

"I don't trust the clarity of your sight, Katarina. Not yet. Please understand that we are doing everything we can to—"

"The hell you are!" I shouted, standing and going to the door.

"Come back here!" Snape yelled after me.

I ignored him, pain nearly splitting my head open as I dashed down the stairs and through the hallway. I only made it around one corner before dizziness set in. I heard Snape's footsteps behind me and I groaned, trying to walk away. I lost my balance, the floor crashing into my head as Snape rounded the corner.

"How graceful of you," he muttered, leaning over to pick me up.

I howled in protest, crying in pain and frustration, but he ignored me as he held me up. With his help, I limped down to the potions room just in time to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione lining up for class. They gaped as Snape glared at them, and Harry whispered something to Hermione.

"What are you staring at, Potter?" Snape said, opening the door to the potions room.

We went in, Snape slamming the door behind us and setting me on his chair. "Stay here," he ordered.

_Where was I going to go?_

He went to his storage cabinet and grabbed two vials. "Drink this," he said.

I did, and my headache dulled immediately.

He handed me another one.

"What's this?"

"Dreamless sleep potion. Take it for the next two weeks."

"But mom—"

"That vision may have been a well placed hallucination by the dark lord. You are not to act on any of it."

"You can't be—"

"Do _not_ make me tell you again," he said, his tone dropping dangerously.

I glared at him, standing up, but stayed silent.

He sat at his desk and organized a stack of papers. "Next week I'll be giving you a stronger potion than the one you've been taking. You are not excused from class so I recommend you take your seat."

At the end of class, I lingered behind.

"If you think I've changed my mind in an hour, you've—"

"She's your _sister_," I said, eyes brimming with tears.

Snape leveled his eyes with mine. "I'm painfully aware of that fact."

I left the room then, heading straight to Gryffindor tower with a plan forming in my mind.

*****

Fred and George were right where they usually spent their evenings; sitting in the Gryffindor common room using underclassmen as test subjects for their latest products. Hermione glared from the corner as I approached Fred.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked.

He nodded, surprise etched in his features as he stood.

"Oy, where are you going?" George asked, holding a pail for a first year that was puking violently.

"I'll be right back," Fred said, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the common room. He led me through halls until we got to an abandoned classroom, when he cast a silencing charm and then turned to me.

"I'll start," he said. "I think you want me to apologize, but I'm not sure why."

I stared at him, frowning.

"See, I wanted to be there for you, and if that was an invasion of your space than I'm sorry, but I really think I like you and I know you feel something for me, so I think we need to work it out. Do you feel something for me? I'd really like to know, because usually girls don't do this to me, and I don't think you realize—"

"Fred," I said finally. "I'm a seer, and I just had a vision of my mom being murdered. Could we talk about the other stuff later?"

He paused, then his brows knit together. "Er, ok. _What_?"

I told him about the vision, about Snape, Dumbledore, and the potion.

"And they don't believe you at all?"

"No. But if I don't do anything, she'll die. Because of me."

He draped an arm over my shoulders. "Don't think that, Kat. We'll figure something out."

"I have an idea, but it's kind of crazy."

"Does it involve you getting into danger?"

"Maybe."

He shook his head. "No."

"Just hear me out."

*****

The wizard at the apothecary seemed reluctant to sell me anything. His handlebar mustache covered a skeletal face sheathed in shadow, and I shivered, rethinking the idea. Fred was at Zonko's; I'd told him it would be better if we weren't seen together. I didn't want the owner recognizing us. Sneaking out of school grounds was one thing, but buying a dangerous potion was another.

"Aren't you Snape's niece?" he asked before I could utter a word.

I cringed. _So much for not being recognized…_

"No," I lied, rather terribly, approaching the counter.

He raised an eyebrow but didn't push the subject, and I glanced around. It was as if he'd taken designing tips from Snape; jars of picked god-knew-what sat on shelves that lined the entire room, and various herbs and dried plants hung from one wall. On the opposite wall, there were vials.

Once I spotted them, I changed route, throwing him an innocent smile and examining the labels. After a moment I shrugged, disappointed. The potions were harmless, weak, and cheap. Nothing close to what I needed.

I went back to the counter. "Um, do you have any, uh, polyjuice potion?"

"Polyjuice potion, eh?" he said, eyes sparkling; I'd finally proven interesting.

I smiled, irritation growing. _This guy must have been in Slytherin_, I thought vindictively.

"I do have some more, _sensitive_, potions stocked up in the back, but I doubt you can afford them," he said, derisiveness infecting his words like a poison.

I raised an eyebrow, lifting the sack of coins from my purse and letting it drop onto the table, the galleons clinking together noisily.

"You shouldn't assume," I replied coldly.

His look became increasingly friendly, and he nodded his head in apology. "If you'll just wait here for one moment," he said, retreating to the back.

My hands were sweating as I waited, afraid that he would call Snape—of course I knew my uncle came here for his goods, but where else could I get it? And Umbridge was checking the mail by now, I was _sure_.

So I waited.

He returned a few minutes, later, handing me a large vial of it. "The price will be considerable, of course," he said, voice slimy.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Of course." Then I had an idea. Returning his smile with one of my own, I took an extra five galleons out. "For your, _discretion_," I said, trying to imitate Malfoy's cold sneer.

It must have worked. The wizard nodded. "It would be my pleasure, madam."

_I'm sure,_ I thought.

"Did you get it?" Fred asked as we snuck back into honeyduke's.

"Yeah," I said.

"I still don't like this idea," he said, frowning in the tunnel a few minutes later.

"As long as Snape's gone—"

"I know the plan. It's just dangerous."

I raised an eyebrow. I had to infiltrate Malfoy manor and get my mother out before anyone suspected I wasn't Snape.

"Piece of cake," I muttered, thankful that he couldn't see my frown.

*****

Taking the potion had been harder than I thought, but Fred slipped me a set of robes over the bathroom small, grimacing when I came out.

"What?" I asked, smoothing down my robes. I laughed slightly; I was taller than Fred.

"It's just, you look like my teacher, but you're my—" he scrunched up his nose in distaste, unable to finish the thought.

I grinned. "Haha, sorry to digust you, babe."

"Ew, don't say that," he said, closing his eyes.

"Ok, we don't have much time, so I should get going."

"Er, Kat?"

"Yeah?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"One, don't smile, don't grin, don't laugh."

"Oh," I said, sobering up. "Right."

"Two, your voice."

"Aw crap!" I pulled out my wand and muttered a word. "Voila!" I said, my voice suddenly low like my uncle's.

"That made it so much worse," he said, still making a face.

I snorted, opening the bathroom door.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Are you _sure_ you can convince a few death eaters that you're Snape?"

"Of course," I said, swallowing and walking out before he could say another word.

*****

I spotted Ron outside of the boy's bathroom Fred and I had been in.

"What are you doing, Mr. Weasley?" I said quickly.

Ron turned and glared. "Nothing," he said spitefully.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for your cheek," I said curtly, stifling a smirk as Ron's scowl grew.

_Like I could take away house points…_

I walked away, fairly sure that Ron was flipping me off, and made my way through the castle. Snape was in a weekly faculty meeting that wouldn't be off for another hour, at which time I would either be back or in trouble. With that pleasant thought in mind, I walked down the path to Hogwarts gates, glad that Snape had taught me apparation a few days ago and hoping I wouldn't splinch myself.

Hagrid waved a weary greeting my way and I waved back, grinning before remembering that I was supposed to be sullen. He watched me, confused, as I quickened my pace, thankful when I reached the gates.

I closed my eyes after crossing them, twirling on the spot and thinking only of Malfoy Manor. My guts threatened to spill after I landed, and I looked around to see a patch of forest.

_Great_.

I hadn't thought that the bad guys would have a fidelius charm on _their_ hideout… I meandered through the woods, thankful when a building loomed into view. With a deep calming breath, I took a step forwards, only to feel a firm hand pull me back.

Panicking, I turned and drew my wand only to be disarmed easily. Whoever he was wore a death eater mask, and even as I began to hyperventilate, I fought. I took him by surprise when my fist collided with his gut, and he let out a small grunt as I ran a few steps. I hadn't gotten far when a curse hit me in the chest, freezing me in place, and he ran up to me, breathing quickly.

_Oh no,_ I thought_. I'm going to die. I'm really going to die._

But he took of his mask, and Snape glared daggers at me.

Wordlessly, he put out his arm and I took it, sullen, as we apparated back to the gates of Hogwarts.

Once I gained my footing, he grabbed my arm and dragged me to the edges of the forest, sitting me down with a small push and beginning to pace. I watched him, silent, until finally the polyjuice potion wore off. I cast a small charm and even without speaking, I knew my voice was back to normal. Snape waved his wand and I was dressed in my own clothes instead of his spare robes.

Then he crouched down to face me. "What were you _thinking_?" he whispered.

I swallowed. "I needed to save—"

"Had I been a real death eater you would have been killed on the spot!"

"Well, I tried, and—"

"That wasn't some sort of _test_," he snapped. "That was not a game, and even if you thought our world was fiction for however long, that does not give you an excuse to act like a _child_!"

"I was trying to save my mother's life, since _you_ won't do anything about it!" I screamed, standing.

"You would have only gotten yourself _killed_!"

"Would _not_!"

He paused, pinching the bridge of his nose as he paced angrily for a few more minutes. Then he stopped, not looking at me. "Have you no idea the gravity of this situation? Have you completely disregarded the consequences of your actions?"

I stayed silent.

He stalked off towards the gates and tears started to fall down my face.

I'd failed.

Miserably.

But I realized then that I wouldn't have come close even if Snape hadn't found me, that I really didn't have a plan, that my mother was as good as dead.

"Come on!" he shouted.

I followed silently, trying and failing to keep from crying.

Snape ignored me until we reached his office, at which point he dismissed me.

"Aren't you going to punish me?" I asked, sniffling. "Don't I have to do a month of detentions, or lines?"

"You've done quite enough," he said, not looking at me.

I nodded, heading up to Gryffindor tower.

_He was right. _

I took my potion and crawled under the covers, falling asleep quickly.

*****

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	15. Chapter 15

**_Hey everyone! I know it's been a long while, and while I hope to write more chapters, I can't promise anything. School is eating my life. I will TRY to keep updating at least once a month. Sound good? I hope you enjoy this chapter! _**

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**

Chapter 15: 

I woke up the next morning to a moment of pure, blissful ignorance. Then I remembered everything, and I almost started to cry again.

Usually, I prided myself on not being an emotional wreck, but lately the world had been unforgiving enough that my will had crumbled. A few tears fell before I forced the feeling away, and I got up, got dressed, and sat back down in bed.

"Aren't you coming?" Angelina said, throwing her bag over her shoulder as the other girls finished their make up.

"I'll be down a little later," I said, pulling out a book.

But as breakfast ended, I decided that I needed a mental health day. I crawled back into bed and pulled up the covers, reading and napping until free period, when I heard footsteps and voices.

"You can't come up here!"

"I just did, Hermione."

"It's against the—"

"I get it, but I think it's time you realize that the rules don't really matter to me."

A huff, and then my curtains were drawn back. Fred and Hermione stood there, one irritated and the other worried.

Fred sighed. "It didn't work." It wasn't a question.

I shook my head.

He held me, silently, and I was grateful that there were no fake words of comfort. I burst into tears for the second time that day, and Fred sat down and held me.

"Um, I'll go let Professor McGonagall know you're not well," Hermione said, retreating quickly.

"Shh, love," Fred whispered.

I didn't get why he was so understanding, but as I fought to breathe amid the sobs that raked through my body, I had no time to question it. Eventually, my sobs became small hiccups and I could breathe again, but he still held me.

When the sun finally fell towards the horizon, and people began to come back to the dorm, Fred took my hand and led me to an abandoned classroom.

"Are you feeling better?"

I sighed, running my hands through my hair. "No."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No."

Fred raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Can I ask you a question?"

"About us?"

He nodded.

I swallowed, my stress amplifying. "Ok. Here's the deal. I like you. A lot. But I've got enough on my plate without a relationship, and you deserve someone who isn't completely deranged."

"I like deranged," he muttered.

I rolled my eyes. "Fred, stay with me for a moment. I am a seer. Statistically, that makes me a hell of a lot more likely to go off my rocker. I have visions that may or may not come true. I've got two crazy relatives left, and apparently Voldemort wants me dead because of my new last name. You have a family, and a future. Don't waste it on me."

I tried to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist and spun me around, kissing me before I could push him off. The moment I felt his lips on mine I gave in, closing my eyes and feeling the world float away.

Fred broke off the kiss first, searching my eyes the same way he had in the locker room, and then his face broke into a grin.

"There it is," he whispered, lips a few inches from mine.

I had to blink a few times before I could form a coherent sentence. "What?" I asked.

"You feel it too. I can take crazy, and I'm already friends with one of Voldemort's enemies. Hell, I can even accept Snape being part of the small family you have left. As long as I can kiss you whenever I want and see that look in your face every time."

"That was mushy," I said, swallowing the sudden emotion as I smiled despite myself.

"Only for you," he whispered.

Rolling my eyes, I grinned outright, letting him kiss me again.

For that one, blissful moment, I forgot all the horrible things that had happened. His hand came up to my shoulder as I entangled mine in his hair, and things heated up considerably.

That's when I heard the door open.

My wand whipped out and I closed the door with a quick charm, realizing in seconds that there were no teachers around, no one on the outside trying to get in. Which left only one other option.

Fred had his wand out too, and as we exchanged a glance I knew we'd both realized the same thing.

"Accio invisibility cloak!" I cried then, and a cloak came zooming towards me as Ron, Harry, and Hermione appeared, looking sheepish.

"We can explain…" Ron started weakly, ears completely red.

My eyes nearly bulged out of my sockets. "What the fuck?" I shrieked.

Fred strode towards Ron, smacking him smartly on the head.

"Oy, that hurt!" he shouted.

"Stop!" I screamed, grabbing Fred's hand to keep him from hitting Ron again. "What are you guys doing here?"

They stayed silent, and I crossed my arms.

"Ron," Fred warned, and he snapped.

"It was Harry's idea!" he yelped, clenching his eyes shut, surprised when Fred hadn't hit him.

Harry glared at Ron for a moment before looking at me. His face wasn't full of shame though. Rather, his eyes seemed to dare me to ask him why they were there.

When I said nothing, though, he frowned. "I'm not thick you know," he said.

I raised my eyebrows. "Could have fooled me."

"I figured it out, and you just said it. You're a seer!"

Fred rolled his eyes as I fought to not do the same.

"Harry, you're a smart guy, but sometimes you're a complete dumbass," I said.

"But, he's right isn't he?" Hermione said, looking at me in a different light. "You can… see the future, supposedly. Even if you get it wrong sometimes…"

Her words trailed off and I peered closely at her.

"And if I were a seer, hypothetically speaking, but my visions were off, wouldn't it be important for that to be kept secret?"

Hermione frowned and then eventually nodded, Harry looking more and more uneasy. "I suppose that falsities would be more detrimental than true visions would be helpful."

I nodded. "Hypothetically speaking, everyone but me agrees with you. Now, if such a thing needed to be secret, I'm sure you would realize how much trouble we would all be in if anyone else found out about it."

Again, she nodded.

"Hang on a tic," Harry said. "I don't think—"

"And now would _not_ be the time to talk about this hypothetical gift," I interrupted.

"Does Dumbledore know?" Harry asked.

I raised my eyebrows. "If I were a seer, I'd assume my grandfather would know about it. And you wouldn't ask him about it."

"But—"

"Harry, I'm tired, and I'm leaving now. Bye." I waved and dragged Fred out then, handing Harry his cloak as he stared at me.

"Wait, what?" I heard him say.

I could almost see Hermione roll her eyes. "She means for us to not let anyone else know that we know about her." Her voice dripped with frustration.

"Not even Dumbledore?" Ron asked.

"Especially not Dumbledore."

I snorted, and clasped Fred's hand tighter in my own.

"D'you think they'll keep quiet?"

"Harry knows how to keep a secret," I said. "It's your brother I'm worried about."

Before Fred could make the physical threat against his baby brother, I grabbed him and kissed him again. "How about we find another classroom?"

He smiled. "As long as it's properly empty."

**

I didn't dream that night, but I stayed up a long time torn between happiness about Fred, guilt over being happy when my mother was in such danger, and fear as to what would happen to her.

There was a good chance that I had made up the entire thing, that my mind or Voldemort's was playing tricks on me. After all, the same thing would happen to Harry in the coming months. But even as I hoped I was wrong, I knew I wasn't.

The next day was a painful reminder of my mistakes, starting at breakfast. As I downed my pumpkin juice, Snape walked up, looking as pissed as ever.

"We won't be having lessons tonight," he said without looking at me.

"What about next week?" I asked, my voice small.

"They will reconvene when I believe you are ready."

Snape stalked off then, robes billowing behind him, and Fred looked murderous.

"What the bullocks does that mean? He's just a slimy git," he muttered into his cup as I stared into my lap, ashamed. "Don't even listen to him."

"He's right," I said, suddenly not hungry.

"We've been over this, Kat. You did what you thought was best, and—"

"And I was wrong."

"Exactly. But still, you can't change it now."

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm going to class now."

We kissed and I made my way to the library, only to be stopped by Professor McGonagall. She looked livid, and I wanted to shrink into the wall.

"I heard about your little excursion the other day, Miss Dumbledore," she said, tapping a rolled up piece of parchment onto the open palm of her hand. "Although that information is privy and should not be shared with everyone." There was a meaningful look in her eyes and I knew she meant Umbridge.

I nodded.

"And you weren't present in class yesterday."

I cleared my throat. "Well, I needed a day to get myself together, and—"

"Be that as it may, here at Hogwarts we do not tolerate unexcused absences. While I understand that there were extenuating circumstances, you still broke the rules. You have one detention per missed class, as well as an extra week from Professor Snape for your unruly actions."

My mouth fell open. "What?"

Her eyes were stern. "Be thankful, Miss Dumbledore. He went to the Headmaster for a harsher punishment than that."

She handed me the parchment and walked off. I opened it and read:

_You will be serving your week of detention with Professor Umbridge. I haven't the time or the patience to accommodate your numerous detentions._

I knew without a signature that it was Snape, and with a deep steadying breath, I headed to the library, getting a head start on my homework. No matter how hard I tried to concentrate, though, I continued to worry about detention, and how angry Snape and Dumbledore must have been at me, and how much I'd completely messed up.

The entire day revolved around my wandering thoughts, and as a result I learned next to nothing. I headed to Umbridge's office with trepidation that night after dinner, Harry sending a pitying glance my way as I left the Great Hall.

"I thought you always served detention with Snape," he'd said, frowning.

I stifled my shame and shrugged. "Up till now, I guess."

"Please, please sit down," Umbridge said when I knocked on her door. There was a grotesque smile on her face, and to my horror, a new set of kitten plates on the wall.

She had me write lines, just as I suspected:

_I must not miss class._

Three pages, four hours, and a very nasty series of cuts later, she dismissed me.

"I'll expect you here at the same time tomorrow."

"I'm sure you will," I grumbled.

Her smile faltered slightly. "Beg pardon?"

"Nothing," I said through a clenched jaw.

**

The next day in potions, we had to make a powerful restoration drought. Snape walked around the room, chastising those who had ruined their own potion. When he came to me, he paused, examining it probably to find something to yell at me about.

After a minute or so I glanced up from my book.

"You know, it's difficult for me to concentrate when you're looking over my—"

But then I realized he was staring down at my hand, which had "_I must not miss class_" carved into it.

I pulled my sleeve down quickly but it was too late.

"Stay after class," he said, so softly that no one else heard. I nodded slightly.

"Did Umbridge do that to you?" he asked, frowning once everyone else had left.

I nodded.

"Why didn't you tell someone what happened?"

"Because I assumed that the headmaster would know about her disciplinary techniques," I said coldly.

"Decidedly not," he said, voice crisp.

I readjusted my bag and he fidgeted slightly, reorganizing a stack of very organized papers.

"Why didn't you come to me?" he asked then, his voice quiet.

"Oh, so you suddenly care?"

"Do _not_ take that tone with me," he warned.

I snorted.

"Another week of detention," he said.

"You're kidding!"

"Not at all."

I threw my arms into the air. "How about another two weeks?"

Snape stayed silent as his eyes flashed. "One month. Do not test me."

I crossed my arms. "You know what, I can save you the trouble. Why don't I just find a spell that can cut all the way through my hand and save _everyone_ some time?"

I walked out then, too furious to talk to anyone. But at dinner that night, an owl landed in front of my plate.

_You will be serving the remainder of your detentions with me._

I looked up to the staff table to see Snape was missing. But he was in his office after dinner, and merely pointed to a stack of dirty cauldrons after grabbing my hand and healing the cuts on it. Next to them sat an old rag, a bucket of water, and a bottle of weak cleansing potion.

Even as I scrubbed what seemed like years of grime from the cauldrons, I was strangely happy.

**

At the end of my first week back in detention, the first Quidditch game of the year loomed a mere three weeks in the distance. I was stoked. Angelina, however, was not. She sat at dinner every night, pouring over sheets and sheets of what I could only guess were plays.

"Are you ok?" I asked, George shaking his head at me as Angelina glanced up at me.

Her eyes resembled a hawk's, and she looked furious. "Do I _look_ ok? I have less than a month before the game, and our team is nowhere _near_ ready."

"Do you have that little faith in us?" George asked, smirking.

"It's not you two and you know it!" She glanced down to the other end of the table where the new players sat, looking pale and shaky. "_They're_ not ready, and neither is—"

"Ron!" Fred said a little too loudly as his little brother approached.

Ron looked worse than the other players, pale and shaking, and wet. I glanced up to the ceiling and sure enough, rainclouds and lightning filled the little sky.

"What were you doing outside?" I asked curiously.

"Trying to use the time I have left to suck less," he said, dropping into the seat next to me in misery.

"Nonsense," I said, spooning him a huge amount of chili. "You're a great keeper. You just don't realize it yet."

He paused. "Do you _know_? For sure?"

I knew what he was referencing, but Angelina had glanced up at his last sentence and was watching me.

"It's not like I can see the future, Ron, but I know you'll be fine."

Fred raised an eyebrow, along with George, but Angelina stood, gathering up the parchment in front of her.

"Where are you going?" George asked, a little put out.

"Library. Then maybe to the Quidditch pitch. See you at five tomorrow."

Fred, George, and Ron dropped their jaws.

"In the morning?" Ron asked.

Angelina's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. "Is there a problem?"

"No," they said sullenly.

I watched her go, feeling a little pity, and finished up my chili.

Harry walked in then. When he spotted me, he sat in the seat next to me. "Can I ask you a question?"

I stifled a groan. "Here, Harry?"

"It's not like anyone's paying attention."

Ron perked up and I shook my head. "Detention."

Fred's face fell. "Already?"

"Seven sharp," I said, shrugging.

"I'll wait for you later." He wiggled his eyebrows a bit and Ron turned a shade of green.

"I'm sure you will," I said, grinning despite myself.

"Could you save that for when I don't have to watch?" he asked, swigging down some pumpkin juice.

I rolled my eyes and kissed Fred goodbye.

The dungeons were extra cold, even colder than the October frost that I'd grown used to. I pulled my sweater closer around me and frowned, hearing a voice I hadn't heard in a long time.

Before I had the sense to listen in, I was in the doorway of Snape's office, face to face with Lucius Malfoy.

I froze, though I didn't know why, and he smiled.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise." He extended his hand and I glanced at Snape, who had just stood from his desk.

He nodded slightly and I took Lucius' hand, grossed out when he kissed it instead of shaking it.

"What are you doing down in the dungeons on a Friday night?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I have a detention."

He tutted. "Terrible way to start out the year."

"Yeah, well, I'm a student. I have an excuse to be here. How about you?"

His eyes were calculating. "Your uncle and I were just catching up. Went to school together."

"So I've heard."

My tone made his eyes flash, though his smile remained.

Snape narrowed his eyes as Lucius nodded at him and turned to me again.

"Well, I must be on my way, but it was a pleasure to see you."

"Bye," was all I could muster.

As soon as Lucius turned the corner, Snape slammed the door of the dungeon shut and cornered me.

"You cannot fall that easily to his instigations!" he hissed.

"Hey, I don't have to play the bad guy."

"No, but you do have to play dumb!"

I set my bag down. "I resent that, first of all, and—"

"Resent it all you want, but learn to keep control of your emotions. And your mouth."

"Fine."

"Fine?"

I shrugged. "Fine."

After watching me for a moment, he nodded and waved his wand, the cauldrons disappearing.

"What chapter are you on in the book I gave you?"

"The Occlumency one?"

He rolled his eyes. "Did I misspeak? I want you to have read through chapter ten by Monday, and have an essay summarizing the book so far. I expect it to be at least two scrolls of parchment."

**

**_Working on Chapter 16!_**

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	16. Chapter 16

**_Here you are, the 16th chapter. Things will speed up. I think I'll wrap up this story with the end of year five, sequels probably to come. What do you guys think? _**

**Disclaimer: Unnecessary at this point. **

***

Chapter 16: 

As the Quidditch game drew nearer, Hogwarts became exponentially less fun. Umbridge was declared High Inquisitor, which meant she began to butt in where she had absolutely no right to be. I felt stupid, because I knew for so long that the world of magic was not all fun and games, but it still came as a shock when reality reared its ugly head.

I ran into Harry, Ron, and Hermione late one night after detention to see them gathered around the fire.

"You guys should really be more careful," I said, causing them all to jump.

"Hello, Kat," Sirius said, having already sensed me there. His head seemed projected into the fire, flames licking harmlessly at his face.

"Hey Sirius." I plopped onto the couch and chewed on an apple; Snape had insisted that I have a snack after each session. Apparently magic was draining on the body.

"You scared us, Kat," Hermione hissed.

I shrugged. "Well, it's not my fault that you guys aren't taking the necessary precautions."

Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to the fire. He'd been angry at me for a long time now, having long since realized that I'd been avoiding his questions about my visions.

"She's controlling everything," he muttered. "She's evil."

"No, not completely," I said, just as Sirius opened his mouth. "She just likes to impose her ideas about how the world should work onto other people. In short, she likes power."

"Well said," Sirius said, though it seemed he was irritated that I'd beaten him to the punch.

"Sorry." I stood up and stretched, remembering that I had an essay due tomorrow for Flitwick. "I'm going to bed now, but if I were you, I'd speed up the conversation. Umbridge is watching all the fireplaces at this point."

Almost on cue, a hand reached out and Sirius dodged it, muttering a quick goodbye and disappearing into the flames. Harry whipped around then, and blocked the doorway to the girls' dorm.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

I crossed my arms. "I'm sorry that my life does not revolve around you, Harry, but believe it or not, there are more important things I have to worry about."

"You sound like Snape," Ron said, glaring at me.

I shrugged.

"Have you had visions yet?" Hermione asked.

My silence was enough of an answer.

"What have you seen?" Harry asked.

"A lot of things."

"Do you know if Voldemort is defeated?"

"Maybe."

Harry slammed his hand on the table. "This isn't a game! We need to know!"

"Why?"

"So we can change it!"

"I don't think you really understand what it would mean to change it," I said, the echoes of Dumbledore and Snape's words finally making sense to me. I shrugged. "And I could be wrong."

"But you could be right," he retorted.

"If I'm wrong, telling you could cause death instead of preventing it."

The words resonated for a moment, causing pause in all four of us.

Harry shook his head. "So you're just going to sit here and let things happen?"

I snorted. "Of course not, but telling you what I know would do nothing but give you a whole lot of stress and pain."

"But—"

I put up my hand. "Knowing the future sucks," I said plainly. "Seeing your loved ones die, get tortured, murdered, it's the worst thing in the world to be forced to see it and know that you can do nothing about it."

My eyes were stinging when I finished.

Hermione and Ron backed down, but Harry seemed more stubborn than ever.

He took a step towards me. "What, exactly, have you seen?"

I closed my eyes then. "You really don't want to know."

**

It was during an Occumency lesson that Snape learned of Dumbledore's Army. I'd finally gone on the offensive, breaking through his outermost mental barriers, and in stunned retaliation he'd gone a bit too far into my head.

"What was _that_?" he asked, black eyes narrowed as we both breathed heavily.

"Just the part of my visions that started before I got here," I said, grabbing my bottle of water from the desk. I was nervous about him knowing, but I didn't want to show it. I knew that it was important for Harry to do this, and that they'd already had their first meeting.

I'd wanted to join, but with Snape in my head every week, I had enough information to hide without worrying about Harry's present predicament as well.

"Why didn't you tell me that this was going on?"

I raised my eyebrows. "So let me get this straight," I started, tucking my wand in my pocket. "You and Dumbledore don't want me to tell you about the perils of the war and the wizarding world in general. You don't want to know about Voldemort, but you're ok with me snitching on my fellow students?"

He inclined his head. "Point taken."

But his look seemed to suggest otherwise, and I knew that his personal grudge against Harry was flaring inside despite his best efforts.

"Just curious," I said, taking my wand out after Severus poised his own for an attack, "but why haven't you seen any of my other visions?"

He stayed silent for a moment. "You're better at Occlumency than you know."

**

The morning of the Quidditch game, I woke up remembering exactly what would happen. Fred and George waited for Angelina and I in the common room, dressed in their robes and talking about the game, their faces wrought in concentration.

"Can I talk to you for a minute Fred?" I still didn't want Angelina to know. She was nice, but I couldn't risk it.

He nodded. "We'll meet you in the Great Hall."

George wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe they're off to have a snog for good luck. Care to help me out Angelina?"

We heard the quick slap and George's shout of pain before the portrait swung shut behind us.

"Are you ok?" Fred asked then.

I smiled quickly. "I'm absolutely fine. For now." My smile faded. "But I know about the Quidditch game, and I just wanted to warn you—"

"Don't tell me Slytherin wins, not after all the hard work we've put in!"

"No, no, it's not about that."

His brow furrowed deeper and I swallowed, trying to get the wording right. I didn't want to make him even angrier than he would be.

"Could you just promise me to not lost your temper?"

He smiled slightly. "That's a bit cryptic, love."

I sighed, and ran my hand through his hair. I shook my head, thinking about how short a time we'd known each other, and how it didn't correlate at all to how well we knew each other. I kissed him, and all too soon it was over.

"You've got the Weasley temper," I said, suppressing a grin. "Just try to reign it in for the match. And tell George and Harry to keep cool too. Ok?"

He nodded. "Whatever you say, love."

**

An hour later, I sat on the stands next to Hermione, cheering on Gryffindor.

"Come on Ron," she muttered, frowning in the direction of the Slytherins. Her hand inched towards her wand and I smirked, having entertained the same thoughts. If only we could _hex_ them into shutting up…

They sang their stupid Weasley chant so many times that even Dumbledore looked sour, though I suspected that not everyone would notice. I glanced his way, disheartened to see Umbridge smiling like a toad. She must have reveled at all of the competition. I tried not to glare too obviously. She leaned forwards and I noticed Lucius Malfoy a few seats down.

My blood chilled slightly.

A chorus of yells shook me back to the game and I looked up, seeing that Ron had missed his first goal.

"Man up, Ron," I muttered. He was blushing furiously, and I saw Harry fly next to him, shouting some words of support that the audience couldn't hear. Angelina flew towards the two of them, shouting something that I decided must have been less supportive, because as she flew off, Ron looked worse than before.

I turned back to Lucius, startled to find him already staring my way. I scowled at him, disturbed when he smiled cordially and nodded. I turned back to the game, refusing to look at him again.

The Slytherins were in position now, and they flew like hawks towards Ron. The quaffle hurtled his way at an alarming speed, and whooshed past his outstretched fingers. I saw Harry slump as the Gryffindors let out a collective groan, and the Slytherin stands swelled with the sound of their ridiculous chant.

This would be a long game.

Just as I thought it, Harry zoomed right past Malfoy, grabbing the snitch from behind his ear. I rose with the rest of the Gryffindors, cheering madly. Then I ran downstairs, hoping that Fred could keep his word.

But even as I dashed towards them, I saw Fred leap at Draco Malfoy, along with George and Harry.

"Fred, NO!" I screamed, doubling my speed. Lucius Malfoy made it there just after I did, and as Ron, Hermione, Ginny and I pulled the three from Draco, Lucius cleared his throat.

"Is this the type of behavior that Hogwarts allows now?" he said with perfect inflection. "I find it completely unacceptable."

Umbridge popped up, and somehow Dumbledore had gone missing. Fred had a bloody lip, and Harry had the beginnings of a black eye blossoming on his face.

Lucius stood behind his son as Umbridge banned the three boys from Quidditch, and even as they protested, I knew things would only get worse from there.

I backed away, crossing my arms as a headache began to make its way into my vision, and then I saw it.

_The Ministry of Magic looked just as I'd imagined it, and as I ran through the halls, I knew I wouldn't make it in time. Voices loomed ahead of me as a vivid blue pierced my vision. The hall of prophecies._

Lucius Malfoy spoke then, but I couldn't hear anything as the sound of a crowd crashed in around me.

I gasped, back on the pitch, as Hermione looked at me in concern.

"They've left," she said, and sure enough, Fred and George were storming towards the castle, ranting at each other with fervor.

Harry walked with Ron, silent as the grave, not too far behind the twins.

"I guess we should go back," I said. Hermione nodded.

**

Angelina lost no time in figuring out replacements. Ginny would relinquish her post as chaser and replace Harry as seeker, and tryouts would be held for beater and chaser positions.

"I want you to join," she said to me as Fred and George sulked next to us.

I shook my head immediately. "No way."

Her lip thinned as Harry and Ron plopped down, both looking miserable.

"Why not?" she said.

I searched frantically for an excuse. "Because I uh, have a lot of homework."

She rolled her eyes as Fred looked up at me. "That hasn't stopped you with anything before."

"Quidditch is a huge commitment," I said, thinking of the essays that always threatened to pile up, of the extra lessons Snape had been giving me, of my own research into horcruxes and Occlumency. "I don't know if I have that kind of time."

Angelina took my hand. "Please," she said. "Please Kat, do this one thing for me."

"And me," Harry, Ron, Fred, and George said at the same time.

"Did you guys friggin' rehearse this?" I said, frowning at the boys' collective puppy eyes.

They nagged me through the entire meal, and finally I cracked. "Fine!" I said, slamming my pumpkin juice down a little too hard.

Dumbledore walked into the great hall then, followed closely by Snape. They were both looking at me.

I frowned.

But before I could say anything, Angelina hugged me tightly.

"Thank you so much, Kat! You won't regret it! You'll be a great addition to the team!"

I rolled my eyes, smiling despite my best efforts. "Yeah yeah," I muttered.

Snape made his way towards us and she let go of me, returning to her seat.

"What's the matter?" Fred asked, following my gaze.

"What happened?" I asked him, closing the distance between us. As a result, we stood near the Slytherin table, which was all too cheerful for my taste.

"We need to talk."

"Is it about mom?" I asked, ignoring him completely. Fred came up behind me as Dumbledore strode toward us.

Snape's eyes glittered oddly and I knew it was.

"Did you find her?" I asked, already knowing they hadn't. Snape's face was dangerously blank, but I saw his eyes tense just a bit.

My own eyes widened and I took a deep breath. "She's dead," I said, but it came out as air.

Snape nodded, and I nodded.

Then I fell to the ground.

***

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	17. Chapter 17

**_Hey guys! Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed over the past few chapters! I'm so grateful for all the responses and comments!! Also, I have to apologize for how long it took me to write this chapter; it was difficult to get through. Heavy stuff, you know? I hope you enjoy it though! _**

**Disclaimer: Really really unnecessary at this point. **

*****

Chapter 17:

The first thing I saw when I woke was fire. Flames licked at the edges of a large black marble fireplace, crackling ferociously. I moved my head, feeling soft leather, and looked down at the black couch that I lay on. It was quite comfortable, but it groaned as I attempted to sit up.

"You shouldn't move just yet," a low voice said from behind me.

I jolted up and a stab of pain went through my head. I moaned as Snape rolled his eyes. "As usual, you do the opposite of what I say." He set a cup of tea down on the table between the couch and the fireplace. "Drink."

But along with the pain in my head came memories that flooded through me. I swallowed one sob, but tears burned my eyes immediately.

"Mom."

Snape had sat down on a matching black chair. He looked down at his lap and carefully folded his hands in front of him before raising his eyes to meet mine.

"When?"

"Last night."

I frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I had other business to attend to. Drink the tea. It will help."

I glared at him for a moment before taking the cup and sipping it. The pain in my head faded, and my fatigue seemed to melt away. Even the tense pain in my chest loosened a bit. "Thanks," I said grudgingly.

"You're welcome," he said, his tone equally perturbed.

"This is my fault," I whispered.

Snape froze then. "Don't be ridiculous."

"It is."

"There's nothing you could have done."

"I could have given myself up. I could have tried to do something. Anything."

"You did try. And it was foolish. One life is not worth—"

"I know," I said miserably, leaning back. "War requires sacrifice and all that crap. But it doesn't make loss any easier."

Snape said nothing though his eyes shined more than usual.

Dumbledore came in later, premised by a mere silvery cloud. "How are you feeling Katarina?"

"Like shit," I said without looking at him. Snape and I had sat for hours in silence, and dimly I was aware that the sun had set a while ago.

"Language," he said, tone friendly save for a raised eyebrow.

"When is the funeral going to be?" I asked, impressed that my voice didn't crack.

Dumbledore and Snape exchanged a look.

"We were, unable, to recover her body."

I frowned. "Of course not," I whispered.

"Considering the ministry believes your parents long past, it would be unwise to hold a memorial service."

My eyebrows knitted together as Dumbledore spoke.

"However, if you or Severus wanted to perform one in private, it could be arranged."

"That won't be necessary," Snape said, voice more hollow than normal.

"Let Katarina speak," Dumbledore said.

I shook my head. "I just want to forget about it," I said, standing. My bottom lip shook and I pressed my lips together. "I'm tired. I just need to sleep."

"There is, an extra bedroom, here, if you'd like to stay the night," Snape said hesitantly.

I turned around, frowning slightly. "I don't want to bother you."

"It wouldn't be a bother at all."

I glanced at Dumbledore, whose lips were curved up in the barest hint of a smile, and back at Snape.

Then I nodded. "Ok."

What Snape called an extra bedroom turned out to be my very own quarters, suggested by Dumbledore months ago. Where the rest of the area was dark green and black, mine was light green. A slight difference to anyone else, but to me it was like the inside of a brilliant forest, as opposed to a dark cave. I had my own bathroom, a closet, and extra sets of robes, as well as a pair of jeans.

"If you'd like, I can send a house elf for some of your things," Snape said over dinner.

I shook my head. "There's already more than I need down here, but thank you."

It was strange, to say the least, that my uncle and I were having a cordial conversation, even if it had been a mere sentence on either side. I'd taken a shower earlier, only to find that Snape had ordered a light dinner for us. I had a bowl of chili and thick cheesy bread as he picked sullenly at Sheppard's pie. The house elves had long since realized that I was rather attached to my American cuisine, and had delightedly risen to the challenge.

As I finished my pumpkin juice later, Snape lifted a book to the table. It was old and thick, and bound with leather, as were most of his books.

"I thought you might want to have this," he said, pushing it towards me.

"What is it?"

"You'd know if you bothered to open it," he said, words reminiscent of the sarcasm he usually dealt out.

I let my eyes narrow slightly before my lips curved into a tentative smile, and I did as he instructed. My smile gave way to pure shock as I stared down at a face that was both scarily familiar and completely alien to me. A smiling girl dressed in Hogwarts robes stood in front of the castle, leaning on a young Snape. After a moment I realized it was my mother, young and beautiful, carefree with the world at her fingertips. Snape looked less haunted, and I could almost make out a smile on his lips.

"Oh my god," I said, caressing the picture as my mother waved at the camera and Snape rolled his eyes, one arm draped over her shoulder protectively.

"Do you like it?" he said.

"It's… amazing." I sniffled slightly and wiped my eyes.

"Her favorite subject was transfiguration," he said, staring down at the picture. "And she never could get enough strawberry ice cream."

"How did her and dad meet?"

A sneer settled on his face. "Your father was close friends with Lupin," he said, not without disdain. "And your mother was acquainted with him as well."

I sighed. "You sure can hold grudges."

"A trait that I hear you've inherited," he said, waving my comment away.

"Point taken."

"I was quite relieved to find you didn't get the Snape nose though," he said, scrunching his own slightly.

I gasped in mock surprise. "You just made a joke."

"I do _not_ make jokes."

A smile crept up my face. "No, you definitely made a joke. Admit it."

"I'm sure you're mistaken," he said, eyes sparkling as he smirked at me.

"Fine. Don't admit it," I said, crossing my arms. "But let the record show that you made a funny."

"Alright, enough," he said, standing. "You should get some rest."

"I'm not even tired," I said, covering my mouth as a yawn cut off my argument.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Quite convincing," he said. "Off you go."

**

I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air as I looked around the room for anything familiar. There was nothing. For a moment my breathing became strained and panicked, until I realized that I was in Snape's quarters. It was still dark outside, but the fear ran through me until my whole body was wired, and I knew I'd had some sort of nightmare.

My mother entered my mind and I let myself cry for a few minutes, holding the pillow tightly to keep from making any noise. I didn't want to wake up Snape. After a while though, I grew restless, and when sleep refused to come, I gave up and entered the main room of his quarters.

The couch looked tempting, but a small light in the corner caught my eye. Heavy wooden doors blocked it off, and as I heaved one open, it let out a low groan that made me pause. I glanced behind me, half expecting Snape to be there, but after a few minutes of silence, I turned back and took in the scene before me.

Snape had a pensieve.

Or he'd borrowed it from Dumbledore. Either way, it was in his office for a reason, and as I leaned forwards, I saw a face that shook me into action. It wasn't her youthful face, nor was it the one I remembered most recently. It was the face of a tortured woman on the edge of her sanity. I leaned into the pensieve face first, even as I thought how bad of an idea it was, and soon I was falling into a silvery haze of faces and places.

When I finally settled into a backdrop, I knew that I shouldn't have come. Snape stood opposite me, next to Lucius Malfoy. I couldn't identify anyone else, though some wore masks and some didn't. They all stood in a stony dungeon setting that sparkled with the ambiance of the rich and famous. It looked like Malfoy manor, though I knew most of Voldemort's followers could afford luxurious mansions. Finally I spotted Wormtail, and beside him, the man I'd only met once before.

Voldemort stared at my mother with snake-like eyes, and he glanced at Snape as though he were expecting something. But my uncle's face was, as usual, completely unreadable, though his gaze was locked firmly on the center of the room, around which the crowd of death eaters gathered.

My mother knelt on the cold stone, eyes staring at nothing as silent tears ran down her face. Her cheeks were marked with soot, and blood marred her hair, which was loose in knots and snarls. I knelt down next to her, letting out a small cry before reigning it in, and backed away for the sake of my sanity.

"I must say, Severus, that I'm quite impressed with your self control."

Snape bowed to Voldemort. "Whatever pleases you, my lord."

"After all," Voldemort continued, almost as if Snape hadn't spoken at all. "It is your sister, who I recall you seemed to have such high hopes for."

"She was indeed a great disappointment," Snape muttered.

"A path I hope your niece will not follow."

"Of course not, my lord."

Voldemort nodded, turning to the group as a whole. It was Malfoy who noticed Snape's eyes, narrowed ever so slightly, as they flashed with anger.

"Let this be a lesson to you all," Voldemort said. "so that you remember that only the loyal shall prevail. The Dark Lord does not show mercy to those who do not support the cause, no matter who they are related to." He raised his wand then, and my mother finally looked up, straight into his eyes.

"My lord?" Lucius said, right before Voldemort uttered the fatal words.

Voldemort's tongue clicked in aggravation. "Yes, Lucius?"

"Might I suggest that Severus do this task?"

A spark of surprise on Snape's face, then nothing.

Voldemort smiled. "What an excellent idea!"

Snape swallowed, glancing at his sister. Lucius sneered.

"Surely, my lord, you wish to end her life?" Snape's voice was a low base by the time he finished, and his hand hovered next to his wand.

The gesture wasn't lost on Lucius.

"You deserve this great opportunity to prove yourself, Severus," Voldemort said. "Now do as your master commands of you!"

With a tentative step forward, Snape nodded and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at Mom and she met his eyes, recognition and fear coursing through them.

"Severus," was all she said before a green light enveloped the room, and her body fell to the floor with a dull thump.

I realized that I had fallen too, crying and screaming as the death eaters calmly began to leave. Lucius remained, watching Snape as he stood stonily in front of his sister's body. I shouted obscenities, apologies, promises of revenge and murder as fury, anger and grief muddled my senses until I felt drunk.

There was a rough hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Snape, standing wordlessly above me. I went silent then, still unable to stem the flow of tears down my face. After a while though, the memory faded to black, and I knew it was past the time to leave. He grabbed my hand and suddenly we were back in his quarters.

Snape and I stood for a moment, and I realized that I was shaking. With a bit of concentration and steady breathing, it went away.

"It wasn't your fault either," I said then.

He swallowed, and repositioned his stance as though he were steadying himself. His eyes pierced through mine as though he was seeing something else, and I knew he was thinking about everything I had just seen. Then he sighed, and his face was neutral, bitter, with just a shadow of the misery I'd seen moments before.

"Go to bed," he said. "You have class tomorrow." Then he walked away, not bothering to make sure that I was following his orders.

I couldn't go back to bed though, afraid of nightmares that would be exponentially worse now that I knew what really happened. Instead I sat down in front of the dying flames, staring until my eyes burned and I had to look away.

What I wanted more than ever was to go up to Voldemort face to face, and torture him until he begged for mercy. I wanted to cause him more pain than he could ever imagine. I wanted to make him feel exactly how I felt, and then kill him. Somewhere in my mind I knew that I was being ridiculous. Some voice inside warned me that it was wrong to want to hurt someone else that badly, no matter what they had done to me, but I couldn't stifle the furious monster within me.

It made it worse to know that I couldn't do any of that. Harry would kill Voldemort, and it would be quick, and it would be painless. I knew better than to mess with destiny, and in a few months Harry would find out that it _literally_ was his destiny to kill Voldemort.

But there would be carnage. There would be loss and sacrifice, and hundreds, if not thousands, of other people would feel exactly how I felt at this exact moment. I could prevent that, even if I couldn't kill Voldemort myself. There were no rules that said I couldn't help.

A wave of fatigue hit me then, almost as if I'd gained a small shrapnel of peace by knowing that I would help to kill the man responsible for my mother's death. As I drifted off to what I hoped would be a dreamless sleep, one thought blazed like a thousand suns in my mind:_ Voldemort is going down_.

*****

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	18. Chapter 18

**_Hey! Merry Christmas to all of my amazing readers! I just want to take a second and thank you all for reading. I'm really glad that you all enjoy my story! Whatever you celebrate, I hope you all have (or had) a great holiday season! _**

**Disclaimer: Ok, since it's Christmas- I'm totally JK herself!!! Ok not really. **

*****

Chapter 18:

"I'm sorry," Harry said the next day. His brow furrowed, he looked at me as though I'd just gone completely crazy. "Say that again?"

The black locket weighed heavily in my pocket as I sighed. "I need you to get me into the Chamber of Secrets… please."

"No," he said, "I mean, _why_?"

I sighed. That's what I'd been worried about. If I told Harry why, he'd get himself in a lot of unnecessary trouble trying to help. No, I couldn't rob him of his innocence this early in the game, not if I could make it easier for him first.

"I need a basilisk fang," I said.

He cocked an eyebrow. "There's something you're not telling me."

"Well that's obvious," I said, ignoring Ron's look of outrage as his food got cold. "But if you think I'm going to tell you, you're wrong."

"Then if you think I'm going to help you, you're wrong," he said, returning to his eggs.

My sigh came out more like a growl of outrage as I banged the table with my hands.

"Something wrong, love?" Fred said, sitting beside me as Hermione found a seat near Ron. The two guys filled her in with muted voices as I glared.

"I'm _fine_," I said through a clenched jaw.

He kissed me and took my hand. "I'm so sorry about your mum," he muttered in my ear. "If you need anything, I'm here."

I nodded, hoping the moment would pass. I didn't want to think about her, as guilty as it made me feel. I needed to stay on task.

Snape walked by then, nodding in my direction before docking points from Gryffindor for some dress code issue that Ron had. He swore at Snape as soon as he was out of earshot, and I began to think of another plan.

I pulled out my notebook and Fred took it away.

"What?" I said finally, as George grabbed it from Fred and shoved it in his bag.

"We think you should take the day off," George said.

"Not your call," I retaliated, reaching for it. They were able to keep it just out of reach for about five minutes, but I snatched it at the last moment by distracting Fred with a kiss.

"Look," I said, finally noticing their concerned glances, "I know that my mom just died and everything, but there's a front to keep up, a war going on, and other lives to save. I can't afford to lose it. I'll keep it together, enjoy life, and trudge onwards."

"Kat, you just lost your mother. You don't have to keep it together," Fred said, his tone more concerned than ever.

"And no one enjoys life when someone they love has just lost theirs," George continued.

"So don't even _think_,"

"About trudging onwards."

I tried not to scream at them. "I have class," I muttered before rushing away.

Dumbledore had excused me from classes for the day, but I went anyways, afraid of falling behind or having free time to think. After all, there was only so much planning I could do. I did a mental time line in my head, and I knew I had enough time to destroy what I could before everything else was set into motion.

As snow fell to the ground the next week, I headed to Dumbledore's office, chiding myself for not having a better memory.

"Katarina," Dumbledore nodded to me as I walked into his office. My footsteps reverberated in the tall room.

"Grandpa," I said.

His chin tilted just a little and a half smile formed on his lips. "I trust you are feeling better today?"

I nodded. "Peachy." And I dropped into the comfy armchair across from him right after he conjured it.

"Might I inquire as to what you are doing here?"

My eyes flew to the long Gryffindor sword on his desk. Then I looked up innocently.

"Why? You're not busy, are you?"

He folded his hands on the table and gave me a stern look over his half moon spectacles. "I'm hardly complaining, Katarina. I simply wonder why it is _now_ that you choose to visit with me."

"I'm turning over a new leaf," I said, crossing my legs as Dumbledore poured some tea.

He smiled. "I'm sure you'll explain what you mean."

"I want to get to know my remaining relatives before one of you, or me, dies."

His smile faded slightly. "Wise words, though they do ring of pessimism."

"We all die eventually, right?"

"Death is a part of life."

My eyes prickled slightly and I looked down at my lap for a moment. "A really difficult part."

I took a sip of the tea and tried to go over what I'd say in my head.

Then I cleared my throat. "So, I was just wondering how well protected the prophecy is."

He blanched. "You aren't supposed to—"

"Pry?" I folded my arms. "I know."

"Then I'm sure you'll agree that we should talk about something else."

"Voldemort will attack whoever's patrolling the hall of prophecies so they should buddy up or something to prevent it."

To say that Dumbledore looked shocked was an understatement. His face paled, and he blinked, speechless at my sudden outburst.

I crossed my arms. "I'm in trouble, fine, I get it, but I absolutely refuse to let information like that go to waste. And before you tell me that my visions aren't reliable, let me also state that if there happens to be an extra person on patrol, and I'm wrong, nothing bad will happen. If you ignore me, and I'm right, then someone could die. And I think that person will be Arthur Weasley."

After a moment Dumbledore nodded and rose from his desk. "Please wait here, Katarina."

I nodded, waiting for the door to close before glancing at the portraits. Most of them were gone, but the ones that remained were snoring, leaving only three that watched me with cynical eyes.

"Sorry," I said, pulling out my wand. Curtains fell in front of them even as I reached for the sword, grabbing the locket simultaneously. It didn't surprise me that it popped open as I positioned it on the floor.

What did surprise me was my mother, walking towards me from the locket.

"You let me die, sweetie," she said, her face rotting as her bruised hands reached out for me.

I took a steadying breath. "You're not real," I said, tearing up.

She smiled. "Doesn't matter. I'm still telling you the truth. You could have stopped him, but you didn't."

I raised the sword and she changed, smoke enveloping her until my dad stood before me, looking just as he had the last time I'd seen him. "Katarina, what are you doing?"

His frown unnerved me, and my grip wavered.

"You're having an episode."

"A what?" I uttered despite my best efforts.

"Ever since your mother died, you've been seeing things, claiming magic exists. They're just books, honey."

His voice broke as he reached at the sword. "Just put it down, you're ok. I'm here."

"No," I said, tears falling down as my breathing made me shake violently. "You're dead. And I promise to make it right."

And I let the sword fall, glad when it hit the mark. My dad let out an angry bellow that climbed in volume until I dropped the sword to cover my ears. Smoke hissed from the locket and finally, it died down.

The door burst open behind me just as I'd pocketed the necklace and placed the sword in its case. Snape ran in, quickly followed by Dumbledore.

"What happened?" Snape said, his wand out.

I stared from him, to my grandfather, and to the locket. Then I swallowed.

"Nothing. Why?"

They frowned, but Dumbledore said nothing more.

"Arthur Weasley and the other members who patrol the ministry have been warned," he said. "They will be paired up and on their guard."

I sighed with relief. "Thank you for listening to me."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You made it difficult for me not to." And a small smile creased his face.

**

I headed down to the room of requirement that night, counting on my fingers what else I'd need.

Diadem.

Snake.

Cup.

Ring.

Harry.

Granted, Dumbledore would theoretically take care of the ring, Harry would take care of himself, and Neville would take out the Snake. But of course I had to take my existence into account. Dumbledore was right; no one knew what I would change by knowing.

Hopefully those changes would be for the better.

I ducked behind a pillar as Umbridge approached, and Filch followed. "I don't know where they're meeting," he said, voice nasally as his cat trailed at his feet.

"Well figure it out then," she replied angrily.

Chuckling as they rounded a corner, I walked right up to the entrance of the Room of Requirement, only to find that the room was already in use. I waited there until Fred came out a half hour later.

"Harry said you were out here," he said. "What's up?"

"I just need to use the room, so I decided to wait."

"Well… we're done with what we were doing. How about we go down to the kitchens and then come back?"

I laughed. "I already know about the club. I also know who's in it. I guarantee no one will hear a peep from me about it."

Fred raised his eyebrow, opening the door and gesturing for people to come out. They did, some giving me odd looks, others smiling and waving. Luna talked to me for a few minutes about some animal or other her father had written about, and finally Harry came out. He glanced at me warily.

"Sorry about earlier Harry," I said.

"Hmmf," he said, walking away.

Fred and George stayed, chatting about the latest spells they'd learned.

"Would you mind teaching me a few, Fred?" I asked.

"Sure. We can find a classroom later and get started."

"I can't imagine you two getting any work done," Hermione said sarcastically as her and Ron walked past.

I blushed slightly, but Fred only laughed, wrapping an arm around me.

"She's right you know," he muttered into my ear.

Before I could forget what I had gone there for, I pushed away gently and sighed.

"Ok, I need to use the room for a second."

Baffled, the twins nodded and took a few steps back.

I closed my eyes and started pacing, concentrating hard on what I needed.

_I need a place to hide things that can't be found_, I thought.

After three tries, though, it hadn't worked. I reworded it, thought harder, but nothing worked.

"Fred, can you do me a favor?" I said.

"Of course, Love." But neither he nor George could open it, and after an hour, we'd made no progress.

"What do you need a room of lost things for?" George asked.

"It would take too long to explain," I said, throwing my hands up in frustration.

Then we heard the meows of Mrs. Norris and made a run for Gryffindor tower, only pausing for breath when the portrait had swung safely shut.

I sat on the couch, disappointed and angry at myself.

"Why didn't it work?" I asked the fire.

"What did you need to hide?" Fred asked. He sat down next to me as George made his way up to their room, and I sighed.

"I need to find something hidden there."

"Well that's your problem then," he said.

I frowned.

"The room only works if you genuinely need it," he said, leaning forwards. "So if you genuinely needed to hide something, then it would open. If you don't—"

"Then it won't work."

"Correct. Because if you could find things that people asked to stay hidden, then the entire purpose of the room would be defeated."

"So what? I'm supposed to wait till I need to hide something?"

"I suppose," he said.

"But I really need to find it…"

Fred frowned. "Is this about your mum?"

"No!" I snapped, standing up. "And stop bringing it up."

"I'm sorry," he said, looking away. "I just—"

"Forget it," I said. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight," he said, still sitting by the fire.

As the diadem sparkled in my mind, I didn't bother answering.

*****

_**Sorry, I know the chapter was a bit short. Working on the next one! Any thoughts? **_

_**All I want for Christmas is a revieewwww!!! (Imagine Mariah Carey singing that... ok?) Thanks! And again, have a great Christmas!**_


	19. Chapter 19

**_Hey! It's been a ridiculously long time, I know, but I really enjoyed writing this chapter, even if I had to trudge through it. Hope you guys like it!_**

**Disclaimer: I'm not as cool as Rowling. Never will be, but I'll always try.**

Chapter 19:

I stood in the middle of Snape's office, sweating as I grinned. I'd just fought off his spell completely, and as he got up from the floor, I did a small victory dance.

"I beat you!" I said, voice full of delight.

"You surprised me," he muttered, wiping the dust from his robes.

"Never underestimate your opponent," I said, in a poor imitation of my uncle's voice.

He gave me a look of disapproval, but not even Snape could deter my good mood.

I put my hands up. "I'm sorry that I'm doing so well. Next time, I'll make sure to not use my full potential so your ego can remain intact."

"Sit."

My smile fell as Snape finally scared me, his tone low and angry. But it was the concern that threw me off. I took a seat in front of his desk as he sat behind it.

"I'm concerned," he started.

"That I'm doing too well?" I said, incredulously. I'd been progressing at a fast rate for weeks, studying until the library closed, then some. And once the library _did_ close, I cast a disillusionment charm on myself, checking the restriction section for the books I needed.

Not that I wanted to get less than four hours of sleep per night, but I had to get into the chamber of secrets somehow, and I'd wager my entire fortune (that Dumbledore and Snape had been adding to since my parents' deaths) that there was some self-involved parseltongue who made some sort of reference book.

Maybe I could figure out how to get into the chamber without Harry's help. Unlikely, but worth a shot. Every minute I spent not studying or trying to destroy Voldemort felt like a waste of time, and it drove me crazy.

"Yes." He sighed as I raised my eyebrows. "Just don't do anything foolish."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Professor."

He rolled his eyes.

I went back to the restriction section that night, scanning through the aisles for anything on parseltongue. I was two thirds through the fourth aisle from the wall when I found something promising. It had a compilation of articles about the "dignified history of Salaazar." I'd seen things like it; obsessed Slytherins just loved to talk about him. But this one had an entire chapter on his "talents."

"I'm sure the guy was _very_ talented," I muttered, flipping to the page. I ran my thumb down the paragraphs, paging through them. "Parseltongue," I found eventually. My heart pounded as I found a few translations. I don't know what I was hoping for, considering the odds were one in a million that I would actually find an exact translation of "open," but my nerves were on edge as I skimmed through the article.

Nothing.

I slammed the book shut and stacked it on the pile I found it. I turned, cursing quietly until I heard a crash behind me. The entire row fell to the floor with a dozen thuds.

"No," I hissed, gathering them up quickly as I looked around. Once they were back to their places, I held my breath, listening for anything. I knew I should run, but I couldn't make myself move.

Then I heard a meow. _Mrs. Norris_. I glanced at the stack and realized that a pile sat on the table—all of Slytherin and snake related things. I pushed them back to the floor and pulled out my wand, cursing the rest of the shelves to fall to the floor.

One book hit my head on the way down and I swore, glancing to the title: Fiend Fyre. It was the alternative to my plan, one I'd been trying so hard to avoid. I grabbed it and ran, not stopping till I was a few corridors away. Mrs. Norris hadn't found me yet, which I took as a good sign. I realized that I was by the room of requirement, and suddenly the book felt heavy in my hands. No doubt Madam Pince would have put curses and charms on each book, just in case a student tried to take it.

_I should probably hide it_, I thought.

A few minutes later the door squeaked open and I ran through the aisles until a tall closet came into sight. Something glinted on top of it. My breath caught in my throat as I sped up. Finally, it stood before me. I stared up at the diadem, in awe and disbelief. The book fell out of my hands as I reached up and grabbed it. _Finally_.

"Two down, four to go," I said, grinning.

I almost skipped out of the room of requirement, pausing only to listen next to the door. Silence. I opened it, only to see Umbridge, whose smile wiped mine off my face.

"My my, what _have_ we here?"

Pink seemed much scarier at night, and even with the torches lit, the room felt cold and dark. Umbridge didn't help things.

Neither did the kitten plates.

"Tea?" she asked, just as Snape walked in. He shook his head minutely just as I shook mine, and Umbridge set down the pink-patterned saucer. Her smile was a tiny bit less smug as she folded her hands and placed them on her desk. She cleared her throat.

"Well, Severus, as I'm sure you know—"

"I am very aware of the situation, Professor," he said the last word with some derisiveness, and if I hadn't been so mortified, I would have smiled. The diadem sat between Umbridge and me, and even though I wanted to reach up, take it and run, I knew I couldn't. I felt like kicking myself for being so stupid.

"Well then, you'll agree with me when I suggest a week of detention," she said, smiling sweetly.

"I would want nothing less," he said smoothly.

"And I will confiscate this item that she stole, no doubt," she said, caressing the diadem.

My stomach knotted up. I could almost feel the horcrux's power across the desk. "I didn't steal it," I said without thinking.

Umbridge scowled. "Then what were you doing wandering around with it at night?"

I swallowed and glanced at Snape. Mistake. His eyes narrowed.

Then a stroke of genius hit me. I turned back to Umbridge and shrugged, letting out a loud hiccup. "Fine," I said. "I had a little bit to drink, and I wanted to go for a walk. Why I brought my crown thing with me, I don't know. It was my mother's," I added, letting myself get all teary.

Had Umbridge bothered to look at Snape, she would have seen him roll his eyes, but she was watching me steadily.

"Consuming alcohol on school grounds?"

"She is of age, Delores," McGonagall said as she stepped inside.

Both Snape and Umbridge seemed disappointed at her entrance.

"Now, the issue of wandering the halls at night is quite another matter. I expect that has already been dealt with?"

"A week of detention," Snape muttered, looking straight ahead.

"Well then, it seems we're all done here. Come along, Miss Dumbledore. I wish to discuss something with you in my office."

I stood up, unable to believe that McGonagall had saved the day. That was when Umbridge let out a small cough.

"_Hem hem_," she said, "I don't believe the minister would approve of such a light punishment."

McGonagall's lips thinned into a tight line, but Snape was ready. "Then I'm sure a month of detention would appease him." He beckoned me out of the room before Umbridge could get another word out, and I glared.

"A month?" I said, holding the diadem as we shuffled down the hall.

"Light punishment for whatever you were doing, I'm sure," Snape said once we stepped into McGonagall's office.

"Now, Katarina, I expect to hear the unabridged version of your adventures this evening," McGonagall said, still in her nightclothes. I was surprised she had a matching hat.

I swallowed. "I was snooping around the halls, and found a disappearing room."

"Where?" Snape demanded.

"I don't remember," I said, hoping my voice sounded more guilty and less like a lie.

"And what are you doing with this diadem?" McGonagall asked, unconcerned with a disappearing room.

_Crap_. That was the thing I couldn't explain away. Snape knew it wasn't mine, and odds were that if neither of them knew the significance of the diadem, Dumbledore would.

"I bought it in Diagon Alley," I said lamely.

Snape's eyebrows went up. "I find that hard to believe, considering it's a historical heirloom of Hogwarts."

I closed my eyes. _Busted_.

"Ok, so I found it here, but I really need it."

"Why?" Snape said.

I shook my head.

"Does this have to do with your visions?" McGonagall asked.

A brief pause, and then I nodded.

"Well, needless to say it must be hidden in a safe place," she said, glancing darkly down at it.

"But—"

Her head snapped towards me, eyes like a hawk "Miss Dumbledore, I have worked far too hard tonight to keep you out of trouble. I will not tolerate an argument from you."

I managed to stay quiet for a moment before I cracked. "You know I'm _trying_ to do good here," I said. "I'm _trying_ to help this whole shitty situation, and if you would just let me do what I need to, I could stop Voldemort before he hurts anyone else! I know what I'm doing!"

"Like you did the last time you tried to take matters into your own hands?" Snape's voice was quiet, delicate even, but his words stung anyways. He was referring to my pathetic attempt to save my mother. "You keep going into situations with no plan, and then you get worked up when they don't go as you want them to. You are far too inexperienced to play with fire," he said. "Do not continue to do so, or I will come up with a far worse punishment than one month's detention."

"Like what?" I said, scowling at him. "Are you going to take away house points?"

His gaze was level as he said, "I will have you removed from Hogwarts."

My jaw dropped. "You _wouldn't_."

"I would."

"You can't!" I screamed.

"If this is not a safe place for you to be, then other arrangements can be made. Do. Not. Challenge me. Now go back to sleep."

I was positively fuming. "Fine. But I'm taking the diadem."

"You most certainly are not," he said, voice low. He took it and handed it to McGonagall, who waved her wand. It disappeared with a pop, and my heart sank. All that hard work, for nothing.

"You have no idea what you're doing," I breathed.

"Neither do you," Snape said slowly.

I stormed out of the room then, shaking and breathing hard.

When I got to the common room, I almost ran to the tower.

"What are you doing out so late?" Harry said from the couch. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at me.

"Getting detention," I said, barely pausing to speak.

"Hey, I want to ask you a question."

"Not now Harry," I said, but he stood up, and stood in front of me.

"You know about the dreams I've been having."

"So?"

I almost stepped around him, but something in his eyes made me pause.

"Do you know how to make them stop?"

Snow was just beginning to fall outside.

I scratched my neck and let out a bitter laugh. "Kill Voldemort. That'll make your nightmares go away."

He frowned. "This isn't a joke, Kat."

I clenched my jaw. "Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I get the severity of the situation? I'm busting my ass trying to help, but no one here seems to give a damn!"

"I give a damn," he said, quietly. "I know how you feel—"

I shook my head. "I have to watch, every day. Every day I don't—can't—do something about it, I see things come true that I can't stop. It's the worst feeling in the world, and you have no idea how that feels." I walked around him and went upstairs, barely bothering to change into pajamas before dropping into bed.

I didn't sleep at all that night.

_**So? Comments? Questions? Complaints? Comment. It's easy. Takes a minute. Thanks ahead of time!**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Ok, this was TOO fun to write. Working on the next chapter. Don't you just love summer?**_

**Disclaimer: ...**

Chapter 20:

When I got up the next morning, I found Harry in the Common room. He got up when he saw me.

"I don't need this today, Harry," I said, speeding up as I headed to the portrait.

"Wait," he said. He swallowed and leveled his gaze with me. "I just wanted to apologize. I don't understand what you're going through. But I'll try, if you just stop being so secretive."

I bit my lip. Then I sighed. "I guess, um, I'm sorry too. You have to go through a lot, and I shouldn't be taking out my frustration on you."

He stretched out his hand. "Friends?"

I snorted at the cheesy gesture, but shook his hand. "Of course."

We walked down to the Great Hall. Christmas decorations had permeated the castle, down to the very last corridor. I didn't mind, as I was more than ready for break. But it was annoying when shining knights in armor tried to serenade me repeatedly on my way to breakfast.

As Harry forked eggs onto his plate he gave me a sideways glance. "Not to push my luck, but is there anything you _can_ tell me?"

I bit my lip. "Small hints, but that's it. If I'm wrong about the more dangerous stuff, I don't want to be responsible whatever you decide to do to stop it. Kind of like Hermione's interesting necklace two years ago. Sometimes trying to fix things only makes them worse."

Hermione frowned at me. "How do you know about that?"

I buttered up some toast. "I saw it."

She huffed. "I'm serious."

"Me too."

Ron frowned. "Can you read my mind? What am I thinking right now?" He clenched his eyes shut and I snorted.

"Not much."

Hermione laughed, and I was thankful when she didn't push it further. A few minutes later, we headed to class.

It was the first time I'd been in a class while Umbridge did her evaluation. I'd almost forgotten about it, though I was still steaming about the Diadem. To make things worse, it was Trelawney's class, a teacher who I'd grown to love. Ron and Harry watched, furious, as Trelawney was made a fool of. Granted, she said ridiculous things on a daily basis, but this was just humiliating.

"And have you _ever_ made a correct prediction during your time here at Hogwarts?" Umbridge asked, voice sugary sweet as Trelawney pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Well, er, that's a matter of interpretation," Trelawney finally coughed out. Then she drew herself up to full height. "The art of divination is not one that can be quantified."

"Interesting." Umbridge made a note on her parchment and I clenched my fists.

"She can't get away with this," Harry said, glaring.

"Just watch," I said under my breath. He heard me and frowned. "She's backed by the minister himself. He may be a moron, but he's a powerful moron."

"_Hem hem_." The sound came from behind me, and I realized I hadn't lowered my voice enough.

I turned to Umbridge just in time to see her smiling at me, and, oddly enough, Harry. "Did either of you have something to add? Perhaps Professor Trelawney has taught you to predict the future?"

I cleared my throat as Harry shook his head. My anger and frustration of the past week welled up inside of me until I couldn't suppress it. "Actually, I feel a premonition coming on."

Umbridge raised her eyebrows as Trelawney took a tentative step forward. She loved my premonitions.

"Does it have anything to do with the grim?" Umbridge's question was punctuated by a sidelong glance at Trelawney.

I narrowed my eyes. "No. But you will regret coming to Hogwarts. There is a curse on the position you hold, and by the end of the year you will have fallen victim to what you fear most. A fate you completely deserve, if you ask me." I should have held the last sentence back, but the look on Umbridge's face was priceless.

"That was stupid," Harry said as we walked downstairs after class.

"That was brilliant," Ron said at the same time. "But what did that last bit mean, about what she fears most?"

I allowed myself a small smile. "She hates half breeds. She's going to have a nasty little encounter with the centaurs in the forest by the time the year is out. And she's not going to like our new divination teacher, either."

"We're getting a new divination teacher?" Harry asked. "Did you," his voice dropped, "_see_ it, or something?"

I frowned, but covered it up quickly. "I didn't have to see _anything_ but that horrific evaluation. Were you not watching Umbridge at all?"

Harry shrugged as we headed to lunch. "Well, whether or not your premonition is true, you're definitely getting another month of detention."

"At least I'm consistent," I grumbled.

Later that evening, I told Fred everything. Almost. "You finally found it?"

I nodded, lounging on the couch next to him in the common room.

"And then she caught you?"

Again, I nodded.

He frowned. "Rotten luck." He paused. "What, _exactly_, did you find?"

I sighed. "You know I can't tell you. And trust me, it's better that you don't know. Ignorance is bliss, or whatever."

Fred looked past me and I turned around.

A first year walked up with a small letter in her hand.

I glared at her. "It's from Umbridge, isn't it?"

She nodded, shaking slightly, and I saw the scars on her hand. _I must not speak during class_.

My gaze softened as I took the letter. "Don't let her get to you."

"I won't," she said, jaw set in determination. _Perfect Gryffindor_, I thought.

I muttered a small healing charm and the scar melted away.

As she strolled off, Fred smiled at me. "That was nice."

"What?" I said as I scanned the letter.

"Healing her hand."

"Yeah, well," I grumbled, getting up. My body was cold where it had been touching his, and I stretched. "I've got to do something about Umbridge, even if I can't kick her out myself."

"Like try to scare her with fake premonitions?" Fred was smiling. "Ron told me about class."

"She was asking for it, and speaking of, this is an official summons to her office. Gotta go."

I gave him a quick kiss but he stood up too. "What, are you going to come with me to face the big bad bitch?"

"Not in a million years, love," he said, smiling. "Got a D.A. meeting." Almost on cue, George came down the stairs, hand in hand with Angelina.

I stared.

"How'd you get up to the girl's dorm?" I said.

George wiggled his eyebrows. "I have my ways."

"He flew up," Angelina said, her hair slightly tousled.

I snorted. "On his broom? Awesome. Well have fun at the secret meeting."

"Are you ever going to one of those?" George said. "You keep raving about it."

I shrugged. "If I ever have an evening to myself, then maybe."

George laughed. "Keep it up and you'll catch up to us by the end of the year."

"I hope not," Angelina said. "She has quidditch to worry about. Unlike some people," she glared at the twins.

I shook my head and made my way down to Umbridge's office. Every step I took I felt closer to doom, even if "doom" meant a lecture in her patronizingly sweet voice. So I took my own sweet time, making it there a full fifteen minutes after I left the common room.

"You're late," she said after offering me something to drink.

I shrugged, taking a seat. "Yeah, sorry. Major traffic and all."

She leveled her gaze with mine, and I fought to keep from blinking.

"You, Miss Dumbledore, are what the ministry likes to call a problem student."

"Am I now?"

"Indeed." She strolled around her desk and stood directly in front of me. "Do you know what we do with problem students, Miss Dumbledore?"

I took a casual look around. "Subject them to poor interior decorating?"

Her smile grew. "We get rid of them."

"Expulsion is up to my head of house, and the headmaster. You are in neither position." _Yet_, I didn't add.

"Being a relative of one and a favorite of the other, there is no subjectivity in relation to your very precarious situation. I've taken the liberty of speaking with the minister about this, and he's given me the authority to expel problem students as I see fit."

I swallowed as she handed me the parchment, complete with Fudge's signature.

I couldn't leave Hogwarts. Not now. It wasn't _fair_.

"Are you going to expel me?" I breathed.

She raised an eyebrow. "It seems I finally have your attention." She waited a long moment before answering. "No," she said finally, and I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. "However, you will serve all of your detentions hereafter with me."

I frowned. "But—"

"You are on thin ice, Miss Dumbledore. I would choose my words _very_ carefully if I were you."

I clenched my jaw and sat down as she shoved a piece of blank parchment at me.

"Let's see. Today I think you shall write, '_I must not speak out of turn_.'"

I put quill to parchment and prepared for a few hours of trying not to wince. It was going to be a long night.

"Wake up!"

I blinked and opened my eyes to see Angelina standing over me. Outside, the sun was just beginning to rise.

"This qualifies as torture, in case you didn't know" I said, sitting up.

"If you hadn't gotten detention all the way through Christmas break you wouldn't be in this mess. You're my most inexperienced player. You can't afford to miss practice."

I scratched my head and pulled my hair back into a pony tail. "Well thanks for that touching sentiment," I yawned, "Why don't you just replace me?"

She stared a moment at my hand, which had Umbridge's words etched into it. She recovered quickly. "We both know that as inconvenient as it is, you're the best beater we've got."

"Besides the twins." I pulled a sweater over my head, then slipped into sweatpants.

"Where are your quidditch robes?" she asked.

I grabbed the broom I'd ordered after she convinced me to join the team. "If you're dragging my ass out of bed before the crack of dawn, I'll wear what I damn well please."

She didn't argue with me as we headed down to the common room, and I wasn't surprised when the twins were up waiting.

"We have to train our new protégé," Fred said, giving me a peck on the lips.

"He wants a chance to snog is all." George fell into step next to Angelina as Fred shrugged.

"Yeah, no surprise there," I said, rolling my eyes. A small grin crept up my face though, and Fred caught it.

Two hours later, Angelina was a bit less angry at me.

"Well you won't lose us the game," she said, just barely dodging a bludger I sent her way.

"Who's the other beater?" I ignored her comment.

"Some second year. He's hopeless, so if you can, make sure he doesn't get near a bludger."

"Noted. Now can we please get some breakfast?"

We trudged back through the snow and walked into the great hall, where McGonagall and Umbridge were arguing. McGonagall's lips were nothing more than a thin line. Her fierce eyes made me take a step back, but Umbridge was too stupid to be afraid.

"It's an unacceptable form of punishment, Delores."

Umbridge smiled. "Am I to understand you do not support the ministry's methods, Minerva?"

"If they involve physical harm to our students, then I most certainly do not!"

"I'm sure you don't mean this, but it seems just a bit as though you don't support the minister himself. He'd be _quite_ displeased to understand that anyone at Hogwarts was against the ministry."

McGonagall paled slightly. "That is not—"

"Then perhaps you should choose your words more carefully, Minerva. I wouldn't want the Minister to come to the wrong conclusions about where your loyalties lie." She walked away before McGonagall could speak, and the crowd dispersed as Snape walked through.

"Enough!" he said, glaring at us all. "Go about your business elsewhere."

We filed into the great hall and I piled food onto my plate. Harry and Hermione talked with muted voices a few seats down, glaring at Umbridge every so often. She seemed perfectly content, however. McGonagall was nowhere to be seen.

"Leave some food for the rest of us," George said, smirking as I shoveled food into my mouth.

I flipped him off. "All this early morning crap is wearing me out. It better pay off."

Angelina raised her eyebrows. "We'll find out tomorrow."

Twenty four hours later, I flew around the pitch with a club firmly in hand. I'd knocked three Slytherins off their brooms, and despite the chaos and stress of the past week, I felt ecstatic. I saw Fred and George in the stands, and I grinned, flying towards the bludger zooming at Ginny. One well placed hit and it soared towards Draco. A dull thud later I let out a whoop. He almost fell off his broom, and I heard him cussing at me.

"And the git finally gets what he deserves, the rich prat," Lee Jordan said.

"Do try to control yourself," McGonagall said, and I could hear the frown in her words.

Draco flew off, glancing behind me once before looking away. I turned to see Lucius, but he wasn't watching his son. He was watching me. I swallowed and flew after Malfoy, wincing as Flint scored another goal. A chorus of "Weasley is our king" rose up from the stands. Ron was losing it.

Then I saw it. The snitch. As soon as I noticed it, Ginny did. Malfoy too. They went tumbling after it and the crowd seemed to pause. So did the rest of the game. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Flint take advantage of the distraction and grab the quaffle.

I swung my arm back and felt the impact of my club on the bludger. It went zooming towards Flint, who would have scored if he hadn't dodged at the last second. A moment later cheer rose up.

We won.

"YES!" I screamed, spinning in the air as the crowd roared mixtures of cheers and obscenities. I tackled Ginny along with the rest of the team and Angelina smiled at me. Had Flint scored, we would have lost, even with the bonus 150 points. Ron was doing _that_ badly. He sulked over, very aware of that fact, as Fred and George enveloped me into a hug.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Fred said, as the team raised Ginny and I up in the air.

Harry managed a few consolatory words to Ron before joining the throng. The team changed quickly in the locker room, congratulating each other on the win.

"We have to practice harder," Angelina said. "Kat's got to spend some time with the team if we're going to win next time. Ravenclaw isn't nearly as sloppy as Flint and his drones. From now on, we have morning practice twice a week."

The rest of the team groaned. I smiled a little. "That's harsh, Angelina."

She ignored me. "Weasley, you'll be coming to morning practice with Dumbledore the _entire_ week."

Ron turned red and scowled. "That's not fair—"

"Considering your performance, I'm letting you off easy."

"He'll get better," George said, traipsing into the locker room with Fred. "It's in his blood."

"Somewhere," Fred added.

"Deep down," George finished.

"Lay off," I said, punching Fred lightly on the arm.

Ron stalked off and Ginny frowned at the twins. "Right. Bloody well done." She followed Ron.

"Party in the common room, compliments of us," Fred said, unperturbed by his siblings.

"Where you can purchase our newest items of interest," George said.

"I wouldn't be caught dead near your items of interest," Angelina said, grinning at George.

He took her into his arms. "Aw Love, are you sure? I might have one item you'd be interested in."

Angelina blushed at the catcalls, but they walked back to the castle together. Fred smirked and slowly the team started to trickle out of the locker room.

"So what about you?" he said, watching me with a grin on his face. "Any items of mine you're interested in?"

"Are you trying to seduce me with bad sexual puns?"

He stood up. "Depends. Do you like Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

I snorted with laughter. "Totally lame." We kissed anyways, and it took a half hour for us to make it back to the castle.

Ron never made it to the party, but Harry did. We got loud enough that McGonagall walked in at two am to tell us to shut up, in not so many words.

Finally, I made my way back to the dorm, where snow had covered the windowsill with deep drifts.

"Good game, Kat," Angelina said groggily. I could hear her smiling.

My own face broke into a grin for the umpteenth time that night. "You too, Captain."

I fell asleep almost as suddenly as I woke up.

My whole body shook with the terror of a forgotten memory, but in seconds, the dream rushed back into my mind. I took one greedy gulp of air before letting out a scream, and then I couldn't stop. The curtains swept back and Angelina peered through.

"Kat, what happened?" she sounded half asleep.

I couldn't say anything as my screams faded into choking sobs. "I have to see Dumbledore," I said, getting past her. Dimly, I could tell that Angelina was following me, but I didn't care. I bumped into someone at the bottom of the stairs, nearly losing my balance.

"Kat?" Fred stood there, holding Harry up by one arm. It looked like he was having a fit. Ron held up Harry's other arm, staring at his friend with worry.

"Mr. Weasley," Harry gasped out, a thick layer of sweat covering his face.

I tried to control my sobs, but I couldn't.

"Did you have a dream about my dad?" Ron asked.

I shook my head. "No," I managed. "It was worse." Much worse.

_**So? What do you think? Review below. Takes however long you want it to. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Will post the next chapter As soon as possible!**_


	21. Chapter 21

**_Hey all! Here's the next chapter. I had a few issues with it, but I'm about to leave for vacation and I'm not sure when I'll have internet access again. So it was this or wait a month. Hope you like it!_**

**Disclaimer: Not JK. But I wanna be.**

_**ooo**_

Chapter 21:

Dumbledore's office was poorly lit as Harry and I sat down. I felt Fred's hands on my shoulders, but he was looking around as Dumbledore got confirmation of the worst; there had been an attack, just like Harry had dreamed.

"Where were you, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, blue eyes staring at Harry's.

Harry shook his head and swallowed. "I dunno." But his face was full of guilt.

"Were you watching the snake from above? The side?" Harry shrugged. "Or was it a blur?"

"It was er, a blur," Harry took Dumbledore's excuse, but I could tell my grandfather had an idea of where Harry had been in the dream. Or who.

Snape stood in the corner and watched silently, while McGonagall went to fetch Ginny.

"Who was with him?" I asked.

McGonagall and Ginny came in. Ginny's face was pale.

Dumbledore turned his gaze to me, and my bottom lip shook. "I don't think now is the best time to discuss this."

"It wasn't mum," Fred said, and his grip tightened on my shoulders.

"Your mother is at Grimwauld place, waiting for word of your father." Dumbledore turned back to me. "Now what did _your_ dream entail?"

Even Harry turned to me and the room went sickly silent.

I looked down at my lap to see my hands shaking. I clasped them together, then took a deep breath.

"I saw him. Voldemort."

"What was he doing?" Snape asked, taking a step towards me.

"He—he was killing people." I looked through Snape then, as my dream replayed in my head. The sun was shining outside, but people were screaming. Death Eaters flooded every street as people dropped dead. Men, women, and children.

All dead.

"Torturing them, slowly, like he was enjoying it. Then right at the end—"

I stopped then, and my lip shook again. Red eyes filled my vision and I flinched.

"What?" I didn't know who asked it, but I didn't care.

I closed my eyes. "He looked at me. He looked at me and grinned. Like he knew I was watching. Like he _wanted_ me to see."

No one said anything for a long time.

I felt the weight of my dream and wondered if Voldemort had really seen me. What town had he leveled, and why?

"Maybe it was just a dream." Snape seemed sure of his words.

"It wasn't a dream," I snapped. "It was real." Even as I spoke, I started to doubt myself.

"Despite the potion you've been taking?"

I stood up. "I've been taking your stupid potion just like you told me too. It's not my fault if it's not working right."

Snape's eyes narrowed, but at that moment someone cleared their throat.

"They've been found," the portrait said, sounding out of breath.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said. He handed the Weasleys and Harry some floo powder. For a moment I thought I might not be able to go with them, but then he turned to me. Fred hesitated, but stepped into the green flames and disappeared.

"We'll discuss this later. For now, get some rest, and help comfort them as much you can. Arthur is not out of the woods yet. It will be a long night for you all."

I nodded and glanced at Snape and McGonagall before throwing the powder into the fire.

Sirius was waiting for me outside of the hearth, and he showed me to the kitchen where the others sat . Harry looked around every so often, but none of the Weasleys bothered to glance at him. They all stared off into nothing.

"How about some butterbeer?" Sirius asked.

When no one answered, he waved his wand and a few butterbeers zoomed from the shelf and onto the table. Ron immediately took one, gulping it down within seconds. Eventually people drank, and for a few blissful moments, the room was filled with the pops of bottles opening. Then silence.

For a while I sat by Fred. I didn't try to comfort him; I knew there was nothing I could say to make him feel better. So I leaned my head on his shoulder and rubbed slow circles on his back, hoping that he'd understand how sorry I was.

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Harry said. It broke the silence in the worst way imaginable.

I froze as Fred tensed beside me. All the Weasleys all looked at me. My eyes widened and Harry blushed, hopefully realizing how stupid his question was. I licked my lips and shook my head too quickly.

"Not _exactly_," I said, but my voice was weak.

"You knew?" Ginny's face was scrunched up in a frown, and it was all for me.

I shook my head. "No. Yes, but no. I knew that there would be an attack, but—"

"Now would be a bad time to be secretive," Harry said, his voice smoldering.

"In what I saw, your dad was attacked. He was alone. I told Dumbledore, and I said that it would be better for people to partner up in whatever they were doing. I thought that would stop it." My last sentence was at Fred, because he was staring at me like I was a ghost.

"It didn't," Ron said, getting up and leaving.

"She's doing what she can," Sirius said, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"I didn't know what else to do," I said, tearing up.

"You could have told me," Fred said, voice icy.

I took a breath, but it came out as a sob. "Fred, I—"

"I need to be alone," he said, evading me as I reached for his hand. His footsteps were heavy on the stairs, but I didn't follow him.

I stood up and went to the front room, sitting on a couch. I couldn't bear to be around the Weasleys for another minute. Really, I couldn't bear to be around myself, because they were right. I was hiding everything from them. I was trying to fix things, but I only made them worse. My mother, the Diadem, Umbridge, and now this.

If I hadn't gotten involved, Mr. Weasley would definitely have survived. But now? I had no idea. And whoever else was with him was hurt too. No matter what Dumbledore said, and I was sure he'd have some words for my comfort, what happened was my responsibility. So far, I'd failed miserably.

My body was tired. Drained. But every time I closed my eyes, Voldemort's filled my vision. Had it just been a nightmare? Was I losing it completely? Or was it a mixture of vision and nightmare? I didn't want to think that it was a true vision, because if Voldemort had seen me, he knew about my "gift" or whatever it was. What was he up to? And what was he getting at?

"I'm going crazy," I said, drawing my knees to my chest as I leaned my head down and held my hair.

"No more so than the rest of us," Sirius said.

I jumped.

"Sorry if I scared you," he said, grinning as he took a seat in the couch across from me. "Don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault."

"In what way could this not be my fault?" My voice was still raspy from crying, and I knew my nose was red.

"You're doing the best you can."

"And still fucking up."

I caught his comforting smile fade a little as I looked into the fire.

"I tried fixing things on my own," I heard myself say. "That failed. Then I tried to tell people, to prevent it that way. Then I tried just letting things go, but just by being here I mess things up. I can't watch it all happen."

"You can't watch us lose?" Sirius was looking at me with glassy eyes, and I knew he was baiting me. I couldn't blame him.

"I really don't know anymore."

"Sorry," he muttered. Then he shrugged. "You're doing better than a lot of people would in your place. It can't be easy, seeing the future. Makes it difficult to live in the present."

I stood up. "Damn near impossible. But thanks for the heartfelt speech."

"Wait." I paused, and he gestured for me to sit down. "I can't tell you what to do, because no matter what, you have to live with what happens. But make sure that your actions aren't as a result of what someone tells you." He smiled lightly. "Your grandfather, he means well, and he is a very powerful wizard, but he's not perfect. A little batty, if you ask me."

I smiled despite myself, and Sirius chuckled.

"And don't even get me started on Snivellus."

My smile faded. "He's trying."

"I'm sure," Sirius said, more to himself then me. "My point, is that you should follow your instincts. Don't play by anyone else's rules, because that's what everyone is expecting." He stood up and headed back to the kitchen. "Just something to think about."

I watched him walk away and frowned. Sirius would, in all likelihood, die of his own recklessness, but he made a strange amount of sense. A few hours later, we found out that Arthur, at least, was stable. Or, as stable as one could be after a nearly fatal snake attack.

The blue potion sat on my nightstand, glowing ominously as Ginny snored a few feet away from me. I took the allotted amount and opened my mouth. Then I closed it. My tasteboods thoroughly loathed the nightly potion, but what did my instincts say? Should I listen to my uncle's warnings and stay out of the action? Should I keep blinding myself and act on half truths?

No fucking way.

I poured the dose down the drain in the bathroom, hoping it wouldn't erode the piping, and fell asleep as the sun rose with trepidation. Maybe I'd made a terrible decision. Or a great one.

The next morning, my head felt clearer, like a sunny day after the fog had lifted. When I went down to breakfast, Fred wouldn't talk to me. Ron did; It seemed like Harry had talked to him the previous night. Harry was busy trying to be nice to me, but I was in too bad a mood to bother returning the gesture.

Sirius had a copy of the Daily prophet that Tonks had brought earlier that morning. He rifled through it as everyone trudged through breakfast, and frowned. "American Wizards Denounce Minister After Tragic Explosion in Muggle Town. Wonder what that means. Definitely not an _explosion_, fucking terrible liars."

Harry looked up. "When was the attack?"

"Last night," Sirius said, flipping to the next page.

My eyes widened and I snatched the paper, going back to a small picture of the town.

"Do you know the town?" Sirius asked, but everyone else had stopped eating.

"Was it the one from your dream?" Harry asked.

I couldn't answer as I stared at the picture. It was of a street sign, and officials walked around taking photos and notes. Someone's foot lay at the edge of the picture, the rest of the body remained out of focus. It was the town next to mine.

"I—I used to live near there," I managed.

I stood up and left the room before anyone else could speak, and went to my bedroom. No one followed me there, not even Fred. Except for him, I was glad of the solitude.

For a while I paced, shock coursing through my system like lightning. I never saw Voldemort in American cities, except when he'd shown up in mine. I closed my eyes and tried to remember the dream I'd had, but I couldn't concentrate on anything but Voldemort's eyes and the bodies dropping to the pavements. Dull thuds and screams.

"I have to leave," I said to no one, grabbing my cloak. I touched the door handle and backed away. Then I chucked my cloak at the bed. "I can't leave," I grumbled. Just like Snape had said so many months ago, I was just one girl wandering around London. Useless. For now, at least. I sat down on my bed and rubbed my temples, concentrating on the dream until my head hurt.

I didn't leave my room until I heard people clamoring about downstairs. I found Dumbledore outside of the kitchen, next to Sirius, who looked angry. Lupin and Tonks milled around the kitchen, trying to prepare dinner. Ron and Harry played a game of chess.

"Did you know? About that attack?" I stared up at Dumbledore, not with anger, but the knowledge that I was right.

"Katarina, I—"

"It's really an easy question," I said, my hands on my hips. "Just say yes or no. Did you know?"

"We had our suspicions, yes," Dumbledore said.

I kicked the wall and swore. "Why didn't you stop it?"

Harry looked up at us.

Dumbledore stayed calm, patient even. "There were other tasks at hand. We cannot jump at every lead. We cannot save every life in times like these. You know that, Katarina. I'm sorry."

My eyes stung a little as Snape walked through the front door. "But I'm not just letting them die," I said, my voice rising. "I'm _causing_ it."

Snape rolled his eyes. "We've no time to comfort you tonight, I'm afraid, The meeting is about to start."

Dumbledore patted my shoulder once before heading to the room. Snape turned to follow him.

My hands clenched into fists and I stomped my foot. "People are dying because of me and you know it!"

Both my uncle and grandfather turned, but it was Sirius who spoke. "No. People are dying because he wants to get to you."

No one needed him to specify who "he" was.

"Don't let him get to you, Kat," Sirius finished.

"So that's it? We all just shove the blame on Voldemort and be done with it? If I'm all he wants, why not trade my life for however many are dying out there?"

"_Please_," Snape said, taking two quick steps towards me, "You've clearly been around Potter too much if you think that you could give up your life so heroically. Your survival instinct is just as intact as the rest of ours, so why don't you go upstairs and leave the adults to fix this catastrophe?"

"Cause you're all doing such a bang up job!" I screamed. I realized that more members had shown up, and the Weasleys had made it downstairs by now, but I didn't care. "And you're a coward! Just because you'd do anything and betray anyone to save your own skin doesn't mean the rest of us would!"

Silence. No one moved, not even Ron. Snape stared at me with widened eyes and flared nostrils, but other than that he gave no reaction. Then I looked down and saw his clenched fists, one of which held his wand at the ready. I took a step back.

"Severus," Dumbledore said, and Snape seemed to remember where he was. He put his wand away, a movement so subtle that I suspected only Dumbledore and I noticed. Then his face became blank as it so often was, and he went in the meeting room without a second glance. Dumbledore gave me an ambiguous look, and followed Snape.

"I quite like you," Moody said, heading in after them. "No one puts that bugger in his place, but that was a show."

His words had the opposite effect from what he probably intended, and my stomach turned to lead as I went up to my room.

A few days later, I went to Harry's.

He sat with Ron, Hermione, and the twins.

"We need to talk," I said to Harry.

Fred and George left, glaring at me, but as Ron and Hermione stood up, I shook my head.

"No, you guys can stay."

They sat back down as Harry frowned.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I can't do this alone. I've tried, but it's not working. So I've been thinking that maybe," I licked my lips, "maybe we should try working together."

"Now she gets it," Ron said, throwing his hands up.

I tried not to narrow my eyes. "I'll make you a deal. I'll keep you in the loop when it comes to my plans, but I can't tell you everything. In exchange, you have to trust me if I say don't pry, duck, run, or shut up."

"Not that last one," Harry said, the barest hint of a smile on his face.

My own lips started to curve upwards. "So are you in? Ron? Hermione?"

The three of them nodded.

"Good," I said, sitting down next to Hermione. "We have a lot of work to do."

**_ooo_**

_**Alright. Working on the next chapter. I hope you liked this one! Comment please! Only takes a minute, I promise!**_

_**Thanks, as always, for reading!**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Hey everyone! So... it's uh... been a while, right? I've gotten a few reviews lately that were some serious guilt trips. Secret: guilt trips totally work on me. Sorry for making you wait so long! Just know I wrote this chapter in a hurry, so it might be a little raw. Hope you all like it!**_

**Disclaimer: All the property of Rowling. So. Yeah.**

Chapter 22:

The corridor was dimly lit as I shuffled my feet. My back was aching, and my face was mere centimeters away from Harry's messy hair. It was infuriating, but once we'd checked the map, we knew we would need the invisibility cloak. Umbridge was up and about. Already. It was only the first day of class and the hag was taking her reign.

Behind me, Ron and Hermione bickered through tense whispers.

"Shut up!" I hissed. Hermione sniffed and Ron swore at me.

Harry paused.

"It's this way, right?" he said, glancing at Hermione.

She frowned. "_Honestly_, Harry. It's to the left." Harry nodded and we trudged onwards, but I heard Hermione continue the sentence under her breath. "Go to a school for five years and you don't know where the lavatory is."

I was thoroughly lost, myself. Each hallway was as creepy as the next, cool gray stone that gave way to identical cool gray stone, old portraits that gambled or snored or flirted with each other. The occasional torch, and the less occasional teacher.

We had to backtrack several times, too. Snape roamed one corridor with hawk-like eyes, and he hadn't trusted me since I snuck out of Grimmauld place on Christmas day to see Tonks. It turned out she had been Arthur's partner, and had been more severely wounded—bitten in the neck. Now she was with Sirius, bedridden until further notice. And, as was becoming a trend, it was my fault.

I tried to push the thought out of my mind as we rounded another corner and Harry let out a triumphant "aha!" We ran into the bathroom after a loud mew erupted in the distance, and we threw off the cloak. I casted a quick silencing charm so no one would hear us, and Ron checked the stalls for Myrtle.

"Let's go then," I said, looking at the faucets. One of them had a tiny serpent engraved on it. _Jackpot_.

Harry followed my gaze, his jaw clamping. "This is absolutely necessary?"

I nodded.

He rolled his eyes and squinted at the faucet. A low sound emitted from his mouth then, an odd halfway point between hissing and gasping. A click, and several moments of churning stone later, we stared down a long dark hole.

"Wow."

Harry nodded, then looked at Ron and Hermione. "You lot don't have to come, you know."

Ron's chest seemed to inflate. "I'll go. Hermione, maybe you should stay. Keep watch, you know?"

She frowned. "I want to see it. I'm going."

Harry jumped in, wand out with a mild lumos charm. We watched the light fade into the distance. Ron and Hermione were still bickering.

Ron finally nodded. "Fine. Watch me do it first. It's like a slide, but careful you don't—"

Hermione rolled her eyes and jumped in after Harry.

I went next, my shoes crunching into small bones when I fell into the cavern. I made a face as Harry and Hermione brushed themselves off.

"This place smells gross," I said.

Harry shrugged. "There's a dead basilisk in here. I can't imagine they keep very well."

Ron tumbled out of the tunnel and we found the fangs.

"How many do we need?" Hermione said.

I handed her a dragon skin bag, one of four I'd ordered. "As many as you can fit."

"Be careful about the tips," Harry said. "They're still chock full of poison."

"That's what I'm banking on," I said.

"Why do we need these again?" Harry and I rode back up the tunnel on our brooms, Ron behind him as Hermione clung to me, clearly unsettled by the short flight.

"I promise, Harry, I'll explain it to you. But not tonight."

For once, my answer didn't upset him. He nodded and turned away, lost in his own thoughts.

When we got back to the bathroom, we threw the invisibility cloak over ourselves, narrowly avoiding Myrtle.

"Ron, stop bumping into me," Hermione said.

"It's this bloody bag," he said. "When did this cloak get so small?"

"Shut it, both of you, or I'll—" but we never found out what Harry would do, because Umbridge turned into the hall, wand at the ready. She was staring straight at us, frowning.

Harry led us to a small enclave marked with stained glass. Fred and I had made out there before break too many times to count, but though it normally provided a perfect hiding spot, tonight we were rats in a cage.

"I know you're there," she said, taking slow steps as her beady eyes searched everywhere for students out of bed. "And I can assure you at least a week's detention for this."

"She's going to look here," I hissed.

"I know," said Harry, "but where else was I supposed to go?"

"We can't afford to lose these!" I said. "They're too important!"

"I can hear you," Umbridge said. "And I will find you."

Hermione sloughed her bag from her shoulder, handing it to me. Then she turned to Ron. "Give your bag to Harry."

Umbridge was getting closer.

His eyebrows knit together. "But I—"

"Just do it!"

He followed her order, shocked, and before he could say anything else, she yanked him from under the cloak. She situated herself against the opposite wall as Ron glanced nervously at us. Then she yanked him against her just as Umbridge peaked into the enclave.

Ron pulled away as if he had been burnt, and his face was bright red as Hermione pretended to fix her hair and smooth down her shirt.

Umbridge frowned at the two of them. "What are you two doing out of bed?"

"Oh goodness!" Hermione said, a weak laugh on her lips. Her cheeks were as red as Ron's ears. "We were, um, we were patrolling the halls." She nervously tapped her prefect badge and Ron managed to pull his from his pocket.

Umbridge shined her wand around the enclave, but Harry and I were safe under the invisibility cloak. "Patrolling the halls, were you?"

Hermione coughed. "Er, yes, Professor."

Umbridge glanced around one last time, then pursed her lips. "I will be speaking to the minister about possible prefect reassignment. This improper behavior is absolutely reprehensible, and I will not have it in my—this school. To bed. _Now_."

Hermione pulled Ron away as he opened his mouth to speak, and Umbridge continued onwards until the hallway was dark and empty save for Harry and me. A few minutes of shocked silence passed, and then Harry began to laugh. I shushed him as we carried the large dragon skin bags up to the dormitory, but started laughing at the Hermione's heroics.

When we got to the common room, Hermione was waiting with Ron by the fire. They'd turned to us as the portrait swung open, and I threw the invisibility cloak off with a wide smile.

"You are a genius, Hermione. Pure genius," I said.

She smiled. "Thanks."

"How'd you come up with the plan?"

Her smile grew. "Oh, I just had two thoughts in my head: what is the most scandalous thing I could do, and what would Kat do?"

I snorted. "Like you could think one without the other. Anyways, mission successful. Let's call it a night."

"What else are we going to need?" Hermione said.

I knew she was baiting me. I knew the three of them wanted me to spill every secret, but I still didn't know if it was too early, how I could explain the next two years of their lives in a condensed story, if I would be telling them too much.

"It involves Professor McGonagall."

Hermione's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. "We're going to steal from McGonagall?"

"No. She took it from me. We're just getting it back. I could do it alone—"

"No," Harry said. "We're in this together. Whatever this is." He muttered the last part.

We each took a bag and headed to the staircase. Harry went upstairs but I paused when Ron did. "Hermione, why, er." He coughed. "Why did you choose me and not Harry? For that thing with Umbridge, I mean."

I was out of sight, but I could see Hermione turn bright red. "Well, you know, Harry's already gotten into so much trouble. And, and… and you're a prefect. It's perfectly alright for you to be out of bed after curfew."

Ron nodded. "Right. Perfect. Makes sense."

The two turned away from each other awkwardly, and I sped up the stairs to make sure Hermione didn't see me. I laughed to myself as I hid the fangs. Then I pulled out my book on Occlumency. Snape and I were continuing lessons, and I had to work extra hard to make sure he didn't find out about the potion I hadn't been taking.

I got downstairs just in time to see the portrait swing open to reveal none other than Fred and George. Neither twin had talked to me since the night their father had been bitten, though the rest of the Weasleys had been quick to forgive me. Mrs. Weasley had caught wind of my knowledge of the event and had pulled me aside to let me know I wasn't to blame. I didn't believe her, but she said if Dumbledore wanted me to stay out of it, then of course it was to be expected that I should. Her eyes had teared up though. "I don't know what I would have done if—" she stopped herself then and smiled. "But Arthur's fine. Would you like some tea, dear?"

Fred glared daggers at me as I took a seat across the room from them. I couldn't concentrate on my book, staring at the same page on dreaming for an hour. Finally I stood up. The moment I did so, they began clearing up their stuff.

"Guys, listen—"

George spoke first. "We really don't want to."

I blocked their way. "I told you, I'm sorry, and if you would just—"

Fred slammed his book shut. "It's not just this, you know. It's not just that you kept your mouth shut about my father when you risked your life in a bloody terrible plan to save your mum. It's that there's more. I know it. There's more about the future that you won't tell me. Me, of all people." he left.

"It's complicated," I said, my eyes burning. "Fred—"

"Leave my brother alone," George growled, gathering up his things.

I watched him leave the common room with a heavy heart. Then I sat down and took a few deep breaths. _It's better this way,_ I tried to tell myself. _He'll tie me down. I can't be in a relationship. It's less complicated to be alone._ But when I dragged myself upstairs, I didn't believe a word of it.

**ooo**

_**Er. So? What did you think? Reviews, as always, are appreciated.**_

_**I'll try to post a new chapter soon, but sorry guys, no promises. **_

_**Hope you're all having a lovely spring!**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Guy. GUYS. I have the next three chapters, already written. Fun (and by fun, I mean really not fun, really gory, really difficult) stuff happens to Dear Kat in the next few chapters. So here's the deal. They either get posted once every other week, or when ten new reviews have been posted. Yes, I'm keeping them hostage. But they were so much fun to write! AAAHH!**_

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Nope.**

Chapter 23:

It was past curfew, which meant that I could be in bed. I had every right to be in bed. Except for detention. Sure, detention included intense defense against the dark arts to compensate for Umbridge's determined lack of practical classes. Sure, Snape and I were going over the finer points of Occlumency, which normally kept me on the edge of my seat. Still, a girl had her limits. I was reaching them. Between classes, searching for horcruxes, figuring out how to tell Harry about said horcruxes, and mourning Fred's absence in my life, I didn't have much time to contemplate how to reverse an act of Occlumency. And damn, the concepts were _hard_.

"Wrong," Snape said simply as I tried to answer a question. "Did you even glance at the chapter I asked you to read for this week?"

My eyes widened. I'd read it twice because I couldn't understand what the author was getting at. "Yeah!" I blurted.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Try again," he breathed.

I clenched my jaw. "When dealing with a skilled Legilimens, one must, um, realize that there are, er," I paused, "physical repercussions, and—"

"No," he said, his voice icy.

"You didn't even let me finish!" I frowned, crossing my arms.

"Because your answer was incorrect."

"You'll never know," I muttered, huffing.

"Pouting will do you no good," he said.

I scowled. "Well it makes me feel better."

"You haven't been reading, you haven't answered one question in a satisfactory manner all night. You probably didn't even bother practicing."

My jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? I've cleared my mind every night before going to bed, I've read and reread every chapter you've assigned, and I work my ass off every week down here with you!"

"Language," he warned.

I ignored him. "And yet you sit here, acting all high and mighty because you can't even remember when you were bad at this stuff, and somehow it doesn't occur to you that Occlumency is actually pretty difficult?"

There was a long silence, and for one terrifying moment I worried how many points he would take away from the house—Gryffindor would kill me.

"I do not presume that this subject is easy, and if my memory serves me correctly, I am quite positive that I remember being your age, when I learned the same material. And Occlumency is indeed a difficult concept to learn."

My jaw dropped as Snape paused. Was he about to apologize?

His eyes narrowed. "But if you think for one moment that I'm going to hold your hand and tell you you're doing well when you're obviously not, you are sorely mistaken. You aren't working hard enough, and it shows." He stood. "So the next time you decide to throw a tantrum in the middle of a lesson, make sure you've evaluated the situation fully. I do not tolerate others wasting my time, family or not."

I swallowed.

"Are we clear?" he asked, turning away from me.

"Crystal," I muttered, a flush creeping up my cheeks.

"I think we're through for the evening."

I stood up, but he handed me a fresh bottle of blue potion. "Bring your empty bottle to the next lesson," he said, eyes already on a stack of essays.

I nodded, trying not let my hesitance show. Snape didn't seem to notice as I left, and I sped back to the common room. Hermione was up studying by the fire, so I sat next to her and pulled out my transfiguration homework from my bag.

"How was detention?" she asked.

"Catastrophic."

She dipped her quill in the ink and finished her sentence. Then she looked up. "What happened?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Snape was a jerk. I was sarcastic and disoriented. Ever since I stopped taking that damn potion I can't think straight, and on top of that, no visions."

Hermione frowned. "Nothing?"

"Not even a whisper or the slightest inclination. I should be able to win the lottery by now, but instead I'm as useless as Trelawney."

She went back to her essay for a minute, then looked up again. "How long has it been since you stopped the potion?"

"Like, two weeks? Maybe? Yeah. About two weeks."

She bit her lip.

Then it hit me. "Why?"

"Nothing."

"Hermione."

"Alright. Fine. I borrowed a book from the library on seers."

"That's impossible. I checked the library for that."

"I borrowed it from the restricted section."

I frowned. "I checked there too. And what were you doing in the restricted section?"

She turned bright red. "Not that it matters, but I was working on a report for Ancient Runes. And this book is in Latin. I've had to translate it little by little."

"Persistent. So what does it say?"

"I'm only halfway through it, but it mentioned binding potions. Apparently it's a common practice for seers. True seers, at least."

"And?"

She pulled out her charms book. "And, it takes a while for visions and such to kick in. The potion sticks in your system for a few weeks, at least."

"And then I'll have visions?"

"Possibly. It mentioned that each seer has a different method. Some get dreams, some go into trances, some get visions, some have to draw or write. Some need cards, or crystal balls, but that sounds like bullocks to me. The book doesn't seem very reliable."

I raised my eyebrows. "Thanks. I got my first vision through a semi-hallucination, and my next two from a crystal ball."

"Maybe you don't have a method?"

"Maybe. Can I see this book?"

Hermione bit her lip again. "Do you actually have time to translate it?"

"No, but—"

"I don't mind, really. And I'll let you know what I find. I like figuring out what I don't know. It's relaxing."

I shook my head. "Only you. Fine. But don't keep me out of the loop, even if it's bad news, ok?"

She nodded, and we went back to our homework. I finished by midnight and dragged myself to bed. Hermione was still bent over a book when I muttered a tired goodnight.

The next day at lunch, Harry slipped me a coin. I knew what it was.

"I really don't think I should—"

"Since we're working together, it's better if you do. There are some spells I know that could come in handy."

"If anything, Hermione should be the one giving me extra lessons," I said.

He blushed. "I may not be Hermione, but I'm still capable."

I clicked my tongue. "That's not what I meant. Snape fishes around my mind every time I go into detention."

Harry made a face. "Is it as bad as his lessons with me?"

I smiled. "Probably not, but he could still find out."

"You're a quick learner," Hermione said, sitting across from us. "Block it from your mind." She put some eggs on her plate and I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. When's the next meeting?"

Harry grinned. "Tonight."

Fred and George were not happy to find me there that evening. They walked through the door, talking animatedly, and stopped dead when they saw me.

"What is she doing here?" George asked, ignoring me.

Harry frowned. "The same thing you are."

"She's Snape's niece," Fred said. "That's fraternizing with the enemy, that is!"

"Oh grow up!" I said.

They glared at me.

"Sod off, the both of you," Harry said. "She's my friend, and she's not leaving." He went to the front, and Fred glanced around at all the people who didn't know me.

"Seems Harry will let anyone into this group," Fred said. "When are the Slytherins going to join up?"

I crossed my arms.

"Today is a dueling day," Harry said as people settled in. "But instead of one partner, I'm aiming to have you fight against as many people as you can. So who's brave enough to go first?"

For once, Hermione's hand wasn't the first in the air. She looked nervous, just as nervous as everyone else. Finally, Fred raised his hand. "I'm in the mood for a duel," he muttered to his brother.

People clapped, forming a wide circle. Harry nodded. "Alright. Who's going to face him?"

I raised my hand.

Fred frowned. "First year against a seventh year? Is that even fair?"

"Watch it, Weasley. I'm older than you."

I rolled my eyes as I moved to the center of the circle, but Harry seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "You're good, Kat, but it's your first meeting. Are you sure?"

I glanced once more at Fred. "I'm positive."

Harry sighed. I saw a few people exchange looks.

"This'll get ugly," Ron muttered to Hermione.

"Shut it, Ron," I said.

"I hope you're better at dueling since the last time I saw you," Fred said.

"Well, you've been avoiding me for a good long time. I'm sure I got some good practice in."

"Let's keep the conversation to dueling, shall we?" Harry said.

"Let's," I muttered.

We raised our wands and Harry counted down. When he said go, a spell whipped my feet out from under me. My back hit the floor and the air whooshed from my lungs. Around me, I heard laughter.

Harry stood above me. "You alright?"

I nodded as he helped me up, and I tried not to slap the smirk from Fred's face. "Nonverbal magic."

Fred nodded, grinning.

_Fine_.

When Harry counted down a second time, I disarmed Fred and sent him into the air, spinning like a top. Again, a few people laughed. I let him down once Harry asked me too, and he rubbed his butt.

"I learned nonverbal magic last week," I said, a sweet smile on my face as we prepared for the third duel.

Harry frowned as he counted down. "3, 2, 1!"

Fred lashed out first, but I blocked it, sending a jellylegs curse his way. He deflected it, but just barely.

"Expelliarmus!" he shouted.

"Protego!" I called out.

We slipped in and out of nonverbal magic, and the minutes wore on. Finally, I missed a curse and went sprawling onto the floor. At first I felt disappointed, until I saw Fred on his butt too.

"A tie!" Harry called, apparently relieved it was over.

"Rematch," Fred said, standing up.

"Agreed," I said.

We both walked to Harry, and I wondered if my face was as red as Fred's.

"Guys, you were both good, but we have to let other people practice now."

"No!" we said together.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry, but—"

I massaged my temple as Harry's voice droned into a low, indiscernible hum. Then my vision went fuzzy, and I began to hear screaming. I felt panic, and a hallway settled into view. Members of the D.A. ran as Slytherins, Umbridge, Filch, and Mrs. Norris chased them through the castle. Most of the D.A. were wearing the same outfits as they were now.

When I came back, Fred was still arguing with Harry; no one had noticed me.

"Fred, shut up," I said.

He glared. "You know what, Kat? You can just go—"

"Umbridge and her stupid Slytherin helpers are outside of this room. Right now. As we speak," I said.

Fred stopped in his tracks as Harry frowned. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "They're planning on ambushing us when we leave."

People broke into panicked murmurs, but Hermione cleared her voice and walked up to us. "Don't worry," she said. "I planned an escape route, just in case something like this happened." She pulled back a tapestry to reveal a small door on the opposite side of the room. "We'll head out in twos and threes. Don't be too loud about it."

When the fifth group had left without incident, people started to calm down. The meeting had devolved into an escape, so I sat on one side of the wall, head on my knees. Fred sat down next to me.

"I think I get it," he said.

I sighed. "Really?"

"You share your visions when it's your arse on the line. Am I right?"

I stood up. "You're way off the mark. But think what you want of me, Fred Weasley. I don't care anymore."

The room was nearly empty when Harry finally pointed at me. I went with Cho and Luna, and I made a mental note to slap Harry when I next saw him.

"Do you know if Harry and Hermione are going together?" Cho asked.

"Careful, Kat," Luna said, "Or you'll step on a nargle."

We barely avoided Mrs. Norris, and parted next to a statue of a sleeping witch. Finally, I made my way up to the dorm, just as the trio did.

"Thanks," Harry said. "That was close."

"Someone sold you out," I said.

Ron nodded. "We'll find 'em. Bloody idiot."

Hermione crossed her arms. "Was that your first vision?" she asked.

I nodded. "What should I expect?"

"They should become more frequent."

"Cool."

She sighed. "Be careful."

I walked upstairs and fell asleep, finally feeling optimistic.

**_OOO_**

**_Alright, guys. As I said. I have the next three chapters already written. Want em? _**

**_Reviews, please! _**

**_Thanks for reading!_**


	24. Chapter 24

_**I guess I lied about holding this chapter hostage. I'm just fairly antsy about posting them. This one is quite short, but the next one is HELLA LONG. Also, the rating of this story will make sense come next chapter. So if you want to read that, I'm not putting a minimum request in for reviews, but the more reviews you leave, the earlier I'm more likely to post it. Hope you guys like this chapter!**_

**Disclaimer: Rowling is a F***ing genius.**

Chapter 24

I woke up the next morning with a clear mind, something I hadn't been able to say in a long time.

"Don't bother, Angelina," I said, sitting up. "I'm already awake."

I pulled back the curtain to make sure I was right.

Angelina stood there in quidditch robes, her wand raised. "How did you know?" She said.

"I heard you walk up," I lied, stretching out. "Who's my new trainer?"

"What do you mean?"

I stood up and frowned. "Fred and George aren't in anymore. They can't be."

She put her hands up. "You and Fred broke up. George is still mine, and he knows what's good for him. And Fred is too dedicated to the team. I saw him downstairs a bit earlier. Now come on. We only have two hours till breakfast."

I groaned as she left, hoping that practice wouldn't be too terrible.

It was.

Fred was sullen as we walked down to the pitch. Angelina seemed determined to ignore the tension between us, and George seemed determined to bring it up.

"Our next game is Monday, so we only have three more group practices. What are the chances of you getting out of detention?"

"Slim," I said, munching on toast.

She kicked off and we followed after, Fred wasting no time before he hit a bludger my way. I blocked it easily, but over the next two hours, I got hit twice.

"Strange you didn't see that one coming, Kat," George said as I rubbed my shoulder. "It's a pretty clear day. You should be able to see anything."

Had I not turned, it would have hit me in the face. I swung at the next bludger with all my might, sending it whirling towards him. He dodged easily.

Angelina used the time as best she could. She had a lot of good things to say about my improvement, but I couldn't help but feel that every hit towards me was personal vengeance from the twins. Every muscle hurt.

"You better toughen up before the game, or Ravenclaw will crush us," Fred said, stalking off to the Great Hall.

I flipped him off even though he couldn't see me and headed up to shower.

Harry, Ron and I headed to McGonagall's office during lunch hour. Hermione had her cornered with a petition about S.P.E.W. so we had at least twenty minutes. Her door was open, and there were no spells on it; students had to be very stupid to enter into her office without her permission.

The boys headed straight to her desk, but I searched in a closet near the door. Robes, papers, lots and lots of books. There was even a little bit of catnip in there, but no diadem. I turned to Harry and Ron after ten minutes had passed. "Anything?" I said.

They shook their heads. "What does it look like again?"

"Shiny tiara."

They shrugged. "Nothing."

We sat in the back of transfiguration class at the end of the day, Hermione tapping her quill in frustration.

"Where could it be?" she said.

I jotted down a note and shrugged. "Hell if I know. It could be in the Himalayas."

"Do you have something you'd like to share with the class, Miss Dumbledore?" McGonagall called.

I shook my head, ducking down in my seat.

"Then please keep quiet."

A few minutes later, we relaxed.

"It has to be in the castle," Harry said. "If it's as important as you say it is."

"Hang on," Ron said. We turned to him. "If it's important, and it's not in her office, there's only one place it _can_ be."

"Miss Granger, could you answer the question?"

"The four elements were thought to be impossible to intertransfigure until the late seventeenth century. The discovery sparked the time period muggles refer to as the Age of Enlightenment, or the Renaissance," Hermione said.

Once McGonagall nodded and looked away, Hermione raised her eyebrows at Ron.

He shrugged. "Dumbledore's office."

We groaned.

"How did you not see this?" Harry hissed at me.

"I get visions, Harry, I don't just automatically know things!"

"Lately it seems like you do," he said, glaring at the back of Neville's head.

"Well, I don't. It's not science. I just get lucky sometimes. _Duck_."

Harry frowned, but ducked just in time to avoid a magical spitball from Goyle. It hit McGonagall in the back and she turned around, livid.

As she sentenced Goyle to a week of detention, Harry gave me a pointed look.

I made a face. "Don't let that undermine what I just said."

The next day, I had three visions before breakfast. A couple made out in the corridor, and I stopped them just as a professor rounded the corner. Then I avoided Peeves and a set of large water balloons. Finally, I ran into Draco Malfoy and his cronies right after a first year Hufflepuff did.

"Look here, boys," he said, sneering at the kid. "Got lost on your way to the kitchen?"

The boy looked terrified. Just like he had in my vision. Malfoy threw a curse, and I reversed it from my hiding spot. When he puked his first slug, I grinned, walking around the corner. The Hufflepuff ran from the slimy mess, and I laughed.

"Morning, Malfoy."

At lunch, I made a face as I sat down. "I hate cod," I said.

As the fish appeared on serving plates out of nothing, Ron and Harry gaped.

Hermione frowned. "This isn't good, Kat."

I frowned. "Yeah. I didn't get the vision soon enough to talk to Dobby."

"Don't you think you should work on making sure your visions aren't… superfluous?"

I shrugged, ladling soup into a bowl. "I don't know, Sherlock. Why don't you read up on it while I give myself next year's horoscope?"

She raised an eyebrow, leaving the table. "May as well start now. I'm not fond of cod either."

I read up on the potion Snape hadn't warned us we'd have to prepare for during my free period. I knew what McGonagall was going to ask before she called on me. My head started to hurt at dinner, and I shook my head just before Fred came into sight.

"Are you ok?"

I sighed, shaking my head a second time.

"You look like shit."

"Coming from an ex, that really means a lot." I rubbed my temples.

"I'm a bit concerned is all."

I clicked my tongue. "Concerned. About me. Right. Why not just ignore me until something bad happens that you can blame on me?"

"I didn't mean to," he started.

"I don't _care_, Fred," I said. My head felt as if it was about to explode. "I can't deal with you right now. Just leave me alone."

He glared. "Fine. It's not like I give a damn."

I left after he did, making sure he didn't see me leave the hall. Then I doubled back, knowing that Snape had followed me. I made it up to the common room without being questioned by my uncle, but there was no trace of Hermione. I decided to go to bed, trying to sleep off the headache, but when the morning sun woke me up, my head hurt just as much. Probably worse.

I went down to the common room to see Hermione sitting on the couch.

"Bad news," I said.

"Do you already know what I'm going to say?" she asked.

"My head hurts to much to think, otherwise I think I probably would." I winced, sitting down next to her. "What is it?"

She frowned, staring at the text. "Well, when any magical power is bound, if it's released, it goes a bit out of control."

"Right." Snape had warned me about this with my magic. Of course, no one talked about the seer stuff.

"The same thing his happening to you right now with your visions. All of the pent up energy is creating a heightened sensitivity to your, your—"

"My inner eye?"

She raised an eyebrow.

I shrugged. "That's what Trelawney likes to call it. Her word. Not mine."

Hermione continued. "The difference between this and normal magic is that one is happening entirely in your mind. It says here that usually seers are weaned off of potion, the amount declining until they can control their visions. The way you've done it, your body is almost in withdrawal."

"Don't tell me something dramatic is about to happen," I said, clutching my head.

She frowned. "If you let these arbitrary visions continue, your power will overwhelm your system, rendering your mind otherwise incapable of thought. Think along the lines of the first Oracle at Delphi."

"Refresh my memory?"

"Muggle history just mentions the fortunes the oracle gave, inspiring leaders and prominent figures in ancient Greece. Wizarding history focuses more on the raving lunacy and early death of the oracle. The first one, at least. That's why the tradition of binding seers' powers came about."

I grimaced. "Great. So death is in my future. How do I get rid of this headache?"

"Do you have more binding potion?"

I nodded.

"Take whatever Snape told you to take for about a week. We'll talk then."

Hermione shut the book and I went up to my dorm. I took out the potion, measuring out the allotted dosage. Part of me felt like I was giving up, surrendering, but the rest of me was in too much pain to care.

But just as I put the spoon to my lips, a wave of nausea came over me, and the room fell away, replaced by a lush green countryside. I knew I was somewhere in Scotland, and I was consumed by fear.

As I stood on train tracks, I could smell something burning. I turned around to see towers of smoke rising up into the sky, and I could hear the crackling of flames. I ran towards the stone bridge as the ground gave way to a vast valley. There was a hole, and when I looked down, I saw the remnants of a bright red train. The Dark Mark hung over the sky. As horror overtook me, the image faded and I was back in my room.

I didn't even hesitate before changing out of my robes and into a pair of jeans. I had to save the train, and I knew I only had a few hours. Once I was ready, I grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs. I passed Hermione on my way out.

"Did you take the potion?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Where are you going?"

"I had a vision right before I took the potion. I'll explain later."

She followed me out of the portrait. "Kat, are you leaving the castle?"

"Yes."

"I don't think this is a good idea!"

"I know."

"Do you have a plan?"

"No."

She grabbed my arm. "Don't go!"

I stopped, facing her. "I have the chance to save over a hundred lives. You would jump at that too."

"Not without a plan."

"I don't have time for a plan. I'll figure it out."

She sighed, glancing back to the common room. Then she nodded. "Fine. Go. But just, just try to be careful."

**OOO**

_**So? Comments? Questions? Predictions? Leave a review and get the next chapter that much sooner!**_

_**Have a lovely weekend, guys!**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**Here it is. The chapter that made me write the previous five. I loved writing it, so I obviously hope you guys enjoy reading it! Warning: It's a bit on the longer side...  
**_

**Disclaimer: What am I going to do when the eighth movie is released? Hell if I know. JK ROWLING WRITE ANOTHER SERIES DAMN IT!**

Chapter 25

I slipped onto the train just as it pulled out of the station, keeping an eye out for death eaters. They weren't usually too difficult to spot; they had an evil look in their eyes, like they wanted to kill a baby, or torture small animals. I pulled my baseball hat down so I could cover my eyes if I wanted to. There were quite a lot of tourists on this train, and my attempt at a British accent was horrible. I might as well be a Yankees fan. I had also dyed my hair dark brown and put contacts in my eyes. I knew I stuck out as one of Voldemort's primary targets, so I worked hard to be as inconspicuous as possible. The spring air was perfect for my baggy hoodie, and I dug a paperback mystery from my backpack, flipping it open to a random page as I looked around. As the train picked up speed, I turned to a backpacker sitting behind me. She had a guidebook firmly in hand. Her shirt was from some high school in Ohio.

"I'm Cindy," I said, smiling brightly.

She grinned. "Sarah. Good to meet a fellow American."

I slipped into the seat next to her and glanced at the guidebook. "You know, I've never read through one of those. I just started my trip last week."

"Wow. Bold. I read this three times before even booking my flight."

"Cool! You know, I heard there's a few epic bridges we cross on this ride."

Her eyebrows knit together. "Nope. Just one."

Lucky me. I stretched and glanced out the window. "Well, I really need a nap but I don't want to miss that view. Do you know when we're going to reach it?"

She flipped through the book. "Two hours after we leave the station, according to the guide."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks Sarah." I stood up, setting my watch to count down.

She frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I have to find my boyfriend, but see you around."

My hand wrapped around the handle of my wand as I made my way to the front of the train, palms sweating in the pocket of my hoodie. I sat in the first car for a few minutes, trying to figure out what to do. Yet again, I'd ventured out of Hogwarts into a dangerous situation… without a plan. The idiocy of my actions hit me just as I heard three distinct yet muffled pops.

Three people had apparated into the car in front of me. It must have been the engine room or its modern equivalent. I pulled my hat further down and gripped my wand with all my might as three normal looking adults walked into the car. My chest was tight as they glanced around, but still, I had the upper hand. The only woman sat with one of the men, while the other man sat alone in the back of the car.

For a moment I felt relief. I could deal with three death eaters. But then, I only knew about the car I was in. What if some had gotten on the train the normal way? What if more had apparated into bathrooms or the storage cars? Or into private, empty bunks? I had to figure out how they were going to blow up the train, which meant I had to scan the entire train for them.

I stood up as the passenger next to me did, linking my arm in his. He glanced at me in confusion, but I smiled and started telling a joke. God bless him, he nodded at one part as we passed the death eaters. As soon as we switched cars, I sped up, leaving the other passenger behind. There were so many people; some couples snored on each other's shoulders, some groups talked loudly, a few businessmen yelled on their phones about things that were "absolutely unacceptable."

If I wanted to blow up a train with magic, how would I do it? There were spells, of course, but the easiest way would be a potion. There were many volatile potions, but they were all difficult to make. I slid my wand up my sleeve, holding it close to the tip so I could cast spells inconspicuously. I hoped desperately that no one would notice me muttering. I searched the whole train for potions, but found nothing but muggle liquids. I only had an hour left, so I sat down in the back of the car to clear my thoughts.

I stared out the window a while, trying to think. If they were going to use potion, then being on the train now would be completely unnecessary, right? But an explosion would be quick. Possibly painless.

Fear and chaos. That's how Voldemort operated. It was the atmosphere in which he liked his victims to die. Potions wouldn't even enter his mind. Bodies would probably start to pile up long before the explosion.

"Oh my god," I muttered, glancing behind me at all of the empty track. There were so many unsuspecting families. Realization crashed over me; the only way I could have saved them was stopping the train from leaving the station, but I couldn't watch them die.

"I can't decide if you're fond of being the center of attention, or if you simply have a death wish."

I turned back around to see Lucius Malfoy sitting across from me wearing his typical smirk. He was dressed in sleek black robes, too. Two death eaters sat in the front of the car, not bothering to wear muggle clothes. They were watching me with undisguised amusement.

"Tell me, Katarina, did you come on this train because you thought you could actually stop us, or did you hope to bump into me?" His smirk turned into an outright grin.

My stomach twisted as the meaning of his words settled in my mind. The train picked up speed. A few heads turned, a few conversations paused.

"And usually you're quite talkative," Lucius said. He moved next to me, blocking any exit. I could feel the heat of his body as he leaned in. "You see, I don't usually find heroics endearing, but your presence is absolutely adorable, if a tad bit useless."

"Call me adorable again," I muttered, hand tight around my wand.

He placed a hand on my knee. I jolted away. He chuckled. "Now don't do anything rash, Katarina. You don't want to miss the show."

I followed his gaze to the front of the car, where the other death eaters stood up. One flicked his wand and in a shot of green light, a man slouched in his seat. A few people screamed, but most didn't understand what had happened. I tensed in my seat, and Lucius' hand closed into a grip around my leg.

It made me cringe, but decided to try something anyways. "This train is surrounded by the Order," I said. "They'll be inside any minute. If you're not a complete idiot, you'll leave. Unless you want to enjoy the hospitality of Azkaban. I'm sure it's a treat, even without dementors roaming around."

Lucius cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think the Order is around here. I don't think the Order will arrive until this train is on fire at the bottom of the valley. In fact, I think you came here alone, and you didn't tell a soul. It's the sort of brave idiocy I would expect from you."

He was calling my bluff, and I could tell that the conversation had taken a turn from me saving the train to me getting out alive. The probability of things turning out my way had gone down considerably.

"You don't believe me?" I said, wrenching my knee away from him and standing up. "Fine." He smiled as I inched past him to the aisle. "But when you're dining on unidentifiable mush in Azkaban this summer, remember this moment."

He stood up and followed me, but he made no move to stop me as we approached the other death eaters. "It's a shame you cut our time short," he said. "I was quite enjoying it. If you try anything, just know that there will be plenty of blood on your hands. I promise you that."

The death eaters parted to let us through to the next car, and I tried to stay calm. I had no element of surprise, I had no escape plan, and I was alone. I sped up to a brisk walk to create some distance from Lucius. He stopped altogether, watching me with grey eyes.

When I got to the middle of the next car, a little girl got out of her seat to face me. Her blond hair sat in pigtails on her head, and she wore blue overalls with a Disney t-shirt. I stopped in my tracks, breathing heavily.

"Are you ok?" I said.

As far as I could tell, there were no death eaters in this car. I started to cast protective spells as quietly as I could.

"You need to sit down," I said to her.

She stood still.

I tried again. "You should go by your parents. I'm sure they miss you."

She nodded and took my hand, leading me a few rows down to her parents. One read while the other slept. She sat down between them and pulled out a knife, smiling sweetly at me. It was only then that I noticed her eyes, glazed over and distant.

I leapt at her, but slammed into an invisible barrier. She stabbed her mother in the stomach, then her sleeping father. Blood gushed through the wounds as she turned the knife on herself, crying out in pain as the imperious curse wore off. Slowly, she slouched over, dead. I let out a few shocked cries, banging my fists against invisible walls. The other passengers finally realized something was wrong. A few tried to stand, but they seemed stuck in their seats. My head protested with the noise of their screaming.

Bellatrix Lestrange sauntered in, grinning wickedly at me. "When the Dark Lord suggested this little trip, I was quite excited. But you too? I almost can't bear it. Too much fun!"

She raised her wand and I threw a curse at her, turning to run, straight into Lucius' arms. He whipped me around to face the witch. She smiled wide.

"Now, how did you find out about us, Kitten?"

I struggled in Lucius' grip.

Bella stepped toward me, placing her wand on my collarbone. It burned through my sweater. "_Tell me_."

I spit in her face. "Go fuck yourself, Lestrange!"

She frowned. "Well that's not polite at all." The cruciatus curse made my entire body convulse, and Lucius held me up as I screamed.

When it stopped, it took a moment for my breathing to kick in again, thick gasps that crowded each other on their way out. Sweat dripped down my forehead.

"Ready to tell us what you know, Kitten?"

I coughed, then looked up at her. "I'm not, telling you, _anything_."

"Yes, sweetheart, you will." She raised her wand again.

Lucius cleared his throat. "She's always in the dungeons. She probably snooped through Snape's things."

Bella's eyes widened. "Lucius!"

"Oh, I'm sure she knows Severus works for us. She's not a fool."

I panicked. "No!" I said, trying to look surprised. "He's not a death eater!"

Bella's anger dissolved into amusement. "Oh yes he is. Remember the night you met the Dark Lord? Snape was there. He played a little trick on your mind. He works for us. Pity you weren't smart enough to join in on the fun."

I writhed around again. I didn't have to work too hard to make tears fall down. "You're lying!" I shouted.

Bella grinned. "I'm not, and that's what makes it so fun. Now, who shall I make her kill first, Lucius?"

I braced myself for the imperious curse, but there was nothing I could do to prepare for the euphoria running through my body. It replaced every ounce of fear with happiness. I knew I ought to be afraid, but I felt like I was floating, high on the best drug imaginable.

_Kill the muggle trash next to you._

I glanced at who Bellatrix pointed at, only to see the girl from before; Sarah. She was crying, her guidebook abandoned on the floor. I walked towards her, my wand in my hand, warm and tingling with energy. Bellatrix shook her head.

_No, with the knife._

"I don't have a knife," I heard myself say.

_Grab it from the little one._

I took hold of the bloody handle and pulled it from the little girl's stomach. Blood gurgled from her mouth and a small voice in the back of my head finally spoke up_: This is wrong._

But my body didn't listen.

Bella came close to me as I stood in front of Sarah.

"Please, please don't," she said, eyes glued to the knife in my hands.

Bella laughed.

I hesitated.

_Do it!_

My hand rose above my body, but then stopped. _I don't want to. I can't._

_You can, and you will! Do it now!_

"She's strong, Bella," Lucius said. "You'll need more power."

"She's not that strong," Bella said, but I felt the floating happiness intensify. "You're blinded by her lineage and her beauty. Don't think I can't see where your eyes go."

Lucius glared. "You're paranoid."

"I'll only warn you once: keep your eyes on my sister."

"We'll finish this later."

She growled, then turned back to me. _Do it NOW!_

Sarah looked straight into my eyes as the knife arced towards her.

_No_, I thought, and I thrust the knife straight into Bella's shoulder. She moaned in pain as my euphoria died, and I fell to the ground as gravity worked tenfold on my body. Lucius threw a curse at me, but I dodged just in time.

Then I was back.

Lucius grabbed me and I elbowed him in the nose, hard. He swore at me, blood streaming down his face, but I dodged his curse easily and sprinted to the door. Lucius ran after me as Bella healed herself, and I saw her shoot the killing curse at Sarah. There was no time to cry as three more death eaters raised their wands, standing at the front of the car.

I took out two of them, ducking down as Lucius threw yet another curse. It hit the death eater square in the chest and I ran to the next car. There was only one death eater in it, but he had killed most of the passengers. The train gained speed then, and I saw the bridge far off in the distance as we rounded a curve I checked my watch. Ten minutes. I took out the death eater as he tortured a little girl and her brother. I felt fury rise in me and levitated his body. Then I threw a curse that smashed his body out through the window.

"Shit," I muttered, looking around. "Are you ok?" I asked the kids. They cried harder.

I grabbed them in each arm and ran to the next car, taking out three death eaters with a fresh wave of energy. The passengers were mostly alive, though nearly paralyzed from shock. I smashed the window closest to me and levitated a few of them out together, adding a cushioning charm so they wouldn't get hurt. Then I levitated the kids.

Lucius burst into the car as I tried to levitate an older couple out. He disarmed me before I could finish, and their bodies fell from the train with too much speed.

"No!" I screamed. I ran to the door, but it burned my hands when I tried to open it. I turned to face him as he walked up to me, wand pointed at my heart.

"I've killed for less," he said, all amusement gone from his face. His nose was healed, but blood smeared up his robes. I backed away, but stopped when I heard the door behind me open. Seven death eaters trailed into the car, fanning out with their wands up.

I felt energy building up inside of me, a familiar magic that hadn't built up since that summer. I tried to control it.

"You can't stop us," he said. "All you've done is prove yourself a nuisance. Now. Sit. _Down_," a curse threw me back into a bloody seat, "and let us finish."

Bellatrix ran in then, and fury was etched in her face. The cruciatus curse came again, and I shrieked. White hot burning erupted all over my body, but even through the blinding pain, I could tell that it was worst in my shoulder. Where I'd stabbed her.

It stopped shortly, but I couldn't stop crying. Lucius held Bella's wand down as she swore at me.

"The Dark Lord wants her in good condition," he said.

"She'll survive," she said, glaring at me. "After all, Lucius, isn't she supposed to be strong?"

"A few more minutes of that and her mind will be gone, Bella. Now _behave_."

"We have work to do," another death eater said.

"Fine," Bella snarled. "But when it's done, we're taking her straight to the Dark Lord." Then she walked up to me, leaning down so she was inches from my face. "Perhaps I'll let Lucius play with you a bit first, Kitten." She grabbed my arm and placed the tip of her wand on it. The moment it made contact, I cried out in pain. It felt exactly like the cruciatus, but concentrated on one point of my body. Dimly, I realized she was writing something. When she was done, she smiled. "So you don't forget," she whispered in my ear. Then she stalked off, barking orders to the other death eaters. The last one tried to follow them.

"Not you, Dolohov," she said, glancing at me. "You've made a mess of this train."

He looked around. "I like blood." The end of the sentence was heavy. Russian.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. You're a brute."

"Blood makes them afraid." He looked at me then, smiling to reveal yellow teeth. "See? Even The Great Dumbledore's little one is afraid."

Bella cackled. "She's afraid of _me_, Dolohov. Don't flatter yourself. Now stay and watch her. No magic unless she tries to get away."

He didn't look pleased, and kept his wand raised at me. Distant screams erupted as I raised my forearm.

_Property of the Dark Lord_.

The words were raised burns, pure black on my pale skin. My bottom lip trembled. I traced the letters with my fingers, ignoring the tingling pain.

Dolohov glanced at my arm. "It was only a matter of time," he said, sitting across from me. A dying woman slouched in her seat next to him. It didn't seem to bother him.

I sat back in my seat and tried not to think about the burns. I had bigger things to worry about. Like not getting an audience with Voldemort.

"The one you threw through the window," he said, "he was my friend."

"Wow," I said. "I didn't know you were capable of basic human emotion. I'm sorry for your loss."

He slapped me, hard. My cheek burned, but I felt the magic again. Instead of controlling it, I tried to make it grow. I tried to let it out.

He pulled out my wand. "I should break this. You won't get to use it when the Dark Lord is done with you."

The magic grew inside, until it filled up my body. When it became too much to handle, I chanted the spell in my mind. _Expelliarmus. Expelliarmus. Expelliarmus_.

Nothing.

I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate. _Expelliarmus. Expelliarmus_. "Expelliarmus." Oops.

"Oy!" he said, "What are you doing?"

"Expelliarmus. Expelli—"

His wand and mine flew toward me, and I stupefied him as quick as I could. He didn't even make a sound. I stood up slowly, glancing to the next car. Nothing moved, though blood was spattered across most of the windows. I ignored the bile that rose from my stomach and muttered a quick charm. The window next to me disappeared, and I leaned out.

The train was going much faster than before. I hesitated, then swore as a death eater ran into my car. He disarmed me, calling the others. The magic came quick then, and I felt it collect in my hand. I threw it at him, sending him crashing out of the window opposite me. As the other death eaters ran into the car next to us, I jumped from the window.

I concentrated again with the magic as I fell to the ground. _Slower_! I thought. _SLOWER_! But I crashed into the ground with too much force, and I felt my arm snap in two. I howled, rolling to a stop. I knew that the magic had worked, at least a little; the fall should have killed me. _Accio wand!_ I thought. It zoomed out of the window and dropped on the ground next to me.

A few moments later, the train erupted in flames. I saw the bridge, an angry gap in its middle, and the train fell into the valley below. Plumes of smoke rose up from the wreck, and I knew that if Lucius and Bella had left anyone alive on the train, they were dead now.

**OOO**

_**So? Comments? Reviews?**_

_**Pretty Please leave a review :)**_

_**As always, thanks so much for reading! I'm eternally grateful!**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**Hello everyone! I'm incapable of keeping chapters hostage. I'm almost done with the next one! I have a question: Hypothetically speaking, if the story were to span beyond Harry's fifth year, should I make a sequel, or should I just keep Kat's story all together? I'd really appreciate the input!**_

**Disclaimer: Snape. Snape Severus Snape. DUMBLEDORE!**

Chapter 26:

I woke up a few hours later under moonlight, in plenty of pain. My arm bled a little, but it was nothing compared to the burns, or the cruciatus. I raised my wand and conjured a patronus before sliding underneath a bush; Bella's look of fury kept me paranoid. I wouldn't be surprised if they came back for me.

A few minutes later, I heard a pop and a wand lit up. When I saw Snape's face, I inched a little, until I was in sight.

"Katarina!" He knelt next to me, and healed my arm. "Where is the other wound?"

I realized then that there was so much blood crusted onto my body. "It's not—it's not mine," I said, voice breaking.

At first, he seemed minutely relieved. Then he saw my other arm. His eyes narrowed as we stood up.

"I can explain," I started, but he shook his head.

"You will do no such thing until we are safe in Dumbledore's office. I'm amazed you haven't been ambushed by death eaters yet." He put out his arm and I grabbed onto it. We apparated right outside of Hogwarts grounds and began speed walking to the castle.

He threw his over-cloak on me, covering the majority of the blood. It also helped me stop shivering. "Pull down your sleeve," he said. "No one in Hogwarts can see it, least of all Umbridge."

I did so, wincing when the fabric grazed my skin. "I was trying to help," I said, but my voice was quiet.

"You had a vision."

"Yes."

"You stopped taking the potion."

I took a deep breath. "Yes."

"You thought, despite all probability, that you could hold your own against death eaters?"

"Yes. But I did, didn't I?"

He seemed to frown deeper, if it was possible. "Breaking your arm and enduring torture does not qualify."

"I saved lives!" I said, indignant. "I think."

We entered the castle and Snape sped up considerably. When we said the password and made our way to Dumbledore's office, however, we realized we weren't alone.

Umbridge stood alongside Draco Malfoy, who had Harry firmly in his grip. Fudge and Kingsley stood on either side of them, along with Percy Weasley. Umbridge seemed in the middle of a rant, but she stopped as the room's occupants turned to look at me.

Harry might have rolled his eyes.

Dumbledore's shoulders sagged a little, as though the sight of his ragged granddaughter so obviously in trouble was too much to bear. I felt a surge of guilt before blocking it out.

Umbridge pointed a meaty finger at me. "You see? He's sending his spawn out on secret missions and brewing an army inside these walls!"

After everything that had happened that day, it was all I could do to keep from cursing her out. Snape looked as if he was going to speak, but Dumbledore beat him to it.

"You're right," he said.

Harry whipped around. "Professor, don't—"

"Harry, please. I'm the one culpable in all of this. I have indeed been teaching my students to fight, but they are not the ones to blame."

Snape frowned, but Umbridge smiled a little, almost as if she was unaware of it.

"Well, let's go, Dumbledore. I have work to attend to at the ministry."

Dumbledore frowned. "You misunderstand me, Minister. I have no intention of going to Azkaban."

Fudge frowned deeper. "By the authority vested in me, I must _insist_."

"Insist all you wish, Minister. I'm not going."

Fudge nodded at Kingsley and Dumbledore attacked. There was a cloud of smoke, and disgruntled yells erupted. When the dust settled, my grandfather was gone.

"Criminal!" Umbridge yelled, adjusting her pink hat.

Snape dusted off his robes and pinched the bridge of his nose as Harry looked around, utterly baffled. Kingsley was knocked out, and Percy shook in the corner. Fudge woke up Kingsley, who winked at Harry.

"Minister," Umbridge said, "I think it's time you consider my earlier proposition—"

"Of course, Delores," he said. "I think it's time. I hereby announce you headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"What?" Harry yelled, still in Draco's grip.

The room ignored him.

Fudge put on his bowler hat. "Now, I really must be off. Dumbledore's escape will not make the wizarding world happy." He left the office, Percy following after, and Umbridge turned to Harry.

"That will be a month's detention, Mr. Potter! To bed! Now!"

Harry stormed out of the office with not so much as a word. Draco looked gleeful.

Kingsley coughed. "I must go file some paperwork." He barely glanced at Snape before leaving.

"Twenty points to Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy," Umbridge said, much more kindly. "Now go up to your dorm. I'll speak with you later."

When Draco had left, she turned to me.

"And what to do with _you_?"

I stayed silent. I was tired. I was sore. I was terrified and embarrassed and overwhelmed. And I had much bigger problems than her.

"Where were you today? You certainly didn't attend my class."

"She snuck out of the castle with a few friends," Snape said. "Went to Hogsmeade. I've already assigned her detention—"

"Yes yes," she said, waving away the rest of his comment. "She's been serving detention with you all year, and yet no improvement in behavior. What has she been doing?"

"Hand-cleaning dirty cauldrons," Snape said confidently.

Umbridge smiled. It looked more like a sneer. "I think, considering your record, it might be better if the other students didn't have to endure the presence of your bad behavior, Miss Dumbledore."

I kept my gaze on the floor. I could see the little girl and her parents. I could see Bella's face and Lucius' sneer. My arm still stung with a warning I would inevitably have to face.

"_Hem hem_. Have you no opinion in the matter?"

Slowly, I raised my eyes to meet her. "I really don't like you." My voice was hoarse.

"No respect," she muttered. "You are hereby expelled—"

"I believe," Snape said delicately, "that it is up to her head of house whether or not my niece be expelled."

Umbridge narrowed her eyes. "Unless the headmistress overrules it, Severus. And I believe—"

"She will not be any more trouble," he said. "And I have more cauldrons that need cleaning."

Umbridge took a step toward him. "I'll be sure to send another unruly student your way then."

Snape took a step towards her, leaning in. He whispered so low that I could barely hear him. "If you expel my niece, then I'll have to spend quite a bit of my time ensuring her well being elsewhere, time I presume you'd rather I spend brewing potions, especially the more delicate kind that you so frequently require. Though I'm sure the Minister would be thrilled to help you acquire illegal means of discipline for your students."

The two stared at each other for a long moment before Umbridge looked away. "Very well. You," she said, glaring at me, "To your dormitory."

I wasted no time leaving Dumbledore's office. When I made it to my room, I took a long hot shower, dismayed to find blood encrusted in my hair. I threw away my clothes, even though magic could take the blood out of them; they would always remind me of what had happened earlier that day, and I would do anything to forget it. I tried to go to bed, avoiding Angelina's glowering looks, but I couldn't sleep. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw blood. I saw Bellatrix's face, and Lucius' eyes.

"Psst." I jumped up to see Hermione's face peeking through the curtain by my bed.

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "We need to talk."

I put on the sweater Mrs. Weasley knitted me for Christmas and followed Hermione downstairs. Harry and Ron sat by the fire, Ron listening while Harry swore about Umbridge.

"And now Dumbledore's gone. He's the only thing keeping this castle safe."

"Nonsense," Hermione said, sitting down next to Ron. I folded my knees under me in an armchair. "There are dozens of enchantments surrounding this castle."

Harry glared. "You know what I mean."

"He'll be back," I said, staring at the fire.

They turned to me.

"When?" Ron said.

"Did you know he was going to leave?" Harry said.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, no, and yes." My voice broke at the last moment. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "I knew the first time, but I thought the D.A. would be safe after the first scare."

Hermione frowned. "What happened today, Kat?"

I shook my head. "I got on the train. I failed."

Harry looked from me to Hermione. "What train?"

Hermione cleared her throat. "Kat had a vision that death eaters would crash a train. She went to stop it."

"And you didn't tell us? I thought we had a deal."

I looked at Harry. "I panicked. I thought I could handle it alone."

"_And_?"

"And what?"

"Did you? Handle it, I mean."

Harry's eyes narrowed as I looked down. "No."

"Tell us," Hermione said. "Tell us what happened."

I tried to think of how I could explain that I wanted to forget everything, that if I repeated what happened, it would be like failing all over again, but I couldn't concentrate. I stared into the fire, and soon I realized that tears were falling down my face.

"So stupid," I muttered, wiping them furiously with my sleeve.

"If you don't tell someone," Hermione said, gently, "It'll only be worse."

"She's right," Harry muttered.

So I did. Somehow, every detail spilled out, until I choked up. I couldn't say what Bella did, or what she said about Lucius and his wandering eyes. So I just pulled up my sleeve; the trio gasped.

"Bellatrix," I breathed.

Harry frowned, probably trying to summon up her name.

"She escaped from Azkaban earlier this year," Ron said.

I sniffled, trying hard not to cry, but the marks were still just as dark as they were when she made them. "I was stupid for trying," I said, wiping at my eyes once more.

"But you saved them," Harry said, like it wasn't a question.

"The train crashed. Over two hundred people died. I failed."

"You saved at least five people," Ron said. "Probably more."

My brow knit together. "But—"

"If you saved those kids, and those other passengers, it was worth it," Harry said sternly.

I knew he believed his words, but I shrugged. I should have saved more. My fingers idly traced the letters on my forearm as I let tears fall down my face.

"Uh oh," Ron said, glancing behind me.

I whipped around just in time to see a pair of extendable ears racing up the stairs to the boys dormitory. Fred and George quickly took their place, watching me carefully. Fury filled me; it was easier to feel than pain. "How long have you been listening?"

Fred ignored me, grabbing my arm to glare at the words on it. "Bellatrix did this?" His voice was smoldering.

I yanked my arm from his grip. "It's none of your damn business, Fred Weasley!"

Hermione's eyes went wide. "I think I'm going to bed. Ron, Harry, you look tired."

"I'm not, actually," Ron said as Harry took the excuse to run. Hermione elbowed him and he yelped. "I'm going, I'm _going_."

"I think I'll go to bed too," I said, covering up the scars. Fred's gaze remained on my arm, as if he could see them through the fabric.

"We need to talk," he said quietly.

I shook my head. "No. We don't."

George shared a look with him before slipping upstairs, and I realized that Fred and I were alone. I tried to step around him. He blocked my way.

I crossed my arms. "What?"

"What happened today?" he said.

My eyes went to the extendable ears sticking out of his pocket. "Don't you already know? And since when do you give a damn what I do?"

He crossed his arms. "You're right. Why should I care?"

"You shouldn't."

"I don't."

I swallowed. "Good."

He pulled me to him then, and my lips were on his before I had time to think. Then I was in his arms. Part of me was still angry, but mostly I was relieved, like something terribly wrong had finally been righted.

"You could have died," he muttered, holding me tighter. We kissed again, and sat down on the couch without disentangling from each other. A long time passed, and Fred made me tell the story again.

"I'm sorry," he said.

I frowned. "None of it was your fault."

He sighed, and I felt his breath on my neck. "Not about that. I'm sorry I blamed you for what happened to dad." He fell silent, but I didn't know what to say. Then he held me tighter. "I had to be angry at someone, or I would have only been able to feel scared."

I snuggled closer to him. "Well, apology accepted. I would have done the same." I bit my lip. "Just… know that I'm trying my best. There's so much that may or may not happen, and I want to tell you everything, but I—"

"I trust you," he said. His words were full of sleep. I smiled. We drifted off together, and to my relief, I had no nightmares of the train, or Lucius, or Bella. Instead, my dreams were full of red hair and Fred's smile. I felt safe, and I hoped that the feeling would last.

Maybe it would. It probably wouldn't. But at least I had Fred, and I intended to keep him.

**OOO**

**_So? I know there's a fair bit of fluff, but I figured Kat deserved it. And I can assure you, more stuff like the last chapter is coming up quickly._**

**_Reviewreviewreviewreview_**

**_Review! _**

**_Thank you!_**


	27. Chapter 27

_**Hello lovelies! I've got the next chapter written! Yay! Hope spring is treating you all well, and enjoy the chapter!**_

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not mine. Not at all. Not even a little bit.**

**OOO**

Chapter 27

Sunlight. Warmth. Someone's chest rose and fell in time with mine, but as I blinked I could hear more than Fred's gentle breathing and slight snore.

I could hear laughter.

"Someone's back together," a boy muttered.

"Really, it's just embarrassing," a girl said.

"Can I get a picture of this?"

"No, Colin." That was George. _Thank God_. "Not unless I get a copy."

"What the _hell_, George?" My eyes opened just as the flash went off, and Fred's snore turned into a dissatisfied grunt.

"Wh' appuned?"

I sat up as Fred wiped the sleep from his eyes and saw the trio grinning at me from across the room. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright kids," George said, as Fred sat up. He already had an arm around my waist. "Show's over. Game today."

I jumped up. "Today?" I ran into Angelina on my way up to the girl's dorm.

She glared.

"Two minutes!" I cried over my shoulder. "I'll be ready in two minutes!"

I pulled my hair back and washed my face. Then I brushed my teeth and pulled on quidditch robes. I paused when I saw the marks on my arms. Then I cast a mild glamour charm. There was nothing to do about them now, and I couldn't stand to look at them.

"Ready!" I said, broom in hand. I jumped down the last three stairs, only to see an ashen-faced team. Fred and George looked furious. Then I spotted McGonagall. "What happened?"

Angelina stormed out of the portrait before anyone spoke up, and George quietly followed her.

McGonagall cleared her throat. "Professor—_headmistress_," she made a face, "Umbridge, has banned quidditch due to recent events with Dumbledore's supposed army."

Harry shook his head as Hermione awkwardly patted Ron on the shoulders. "She can't get away with this," he muttered, ears red.

McGonagall walked up to me. "Your Uncle asked me to give you this," she said, handing me a sealed roll of parchment.

_Meet me in my office after curfew._

I narrowed my eyes; Snape was asking me to break the rules? "There's a first," I muttered. With Umbridge in charge, Snape didn't seem to want to take any risks. I nodded at McGonagall and she left, worry in her eyes.

"I guess I should change out of my robes," I said, glancing around at all of the stricken faces.

"You would have been great," Fred said, teeth clenched.

"I'm not the one who should be on the field," I said, forcing a smile.

As I went upstairs, I saw George walk back into the common room, giving Fred a look. Worry overtook me. When I came back downstairs, the common room was abandoned; the red and yellow posters Hermione and Neville worked so hard on seemed like harsh reminders of a game that would never take place. Outside of the window, the grounds were covered with students milling about. Most of them looked livid.

Fred and George came downstairs just as I decided to go outside, and Fred wrapped an arm around me. I pretended not to see the expression on his face.

"You know what we should do?" he said, kissing my cheek.

I grinned. "What?"

"We," his arm draped over my shoulders. "We should go to the room of requirement and see how many candles fit in there."

I snorted with laughter. "Very slick."

"It works with all the bonny lasses," he said.

"I'm sure." A large part of me wanted to take him up on his offer, and we _did_ have a lot of time to make up for.

"Kat!" Hermione's voice shocked me out of my thoughts and I turned to see her balancing a large stack of books in her arms.

Fred swore under his breath.

"We need to get to the library. Ron and Harry are already there. OWLs are in a few weeks!"

I let out a sigh before getting up and taking half the stack out of her hands. "I'll see you later, ok?" I said to Fred.

He nodded. "I'll just, er, catch up on things," he said, eying Hermione. I smiled; She had been hounding the twins for months about testing their merchandise on students, and I was sure he was about to make use of some Hermione-free time.

"Honestly, I don't know how we're going to get everything covered," Hermione said as we walked through the corridors. "It's certainly a relief that you and Ron have extra time to study now."

I raised my eyebrows as Hermione paused, considering her words. Then she glanced at me.

"You know I didn't mean it like that!"

My hands went up. "I really don't care about quidditch." I didn't tell her that I also didn't care about exams. At this point, they were too far down on my list of priorities to even bother. But I spent the morning and afternoon studying with the trio.

I put most of my effort into charms and transfiguration, since Snape had already made sure I would be fine on potions. He assigned extra homework, but to be honest, it wasn't that difficult. I tapped my finger as Hermione translated runes. Harry and Ron passed notes, smirking occasionally.

Then I looked up. Beyond Madam Pince, right by the entrance, Umbridge slinked into the library, looking around at the students. The already sparse laughter stopped all together as her beady eyes scanned the room. My blood boiled.

"Ron, your essay isn't long enough," Hermione said, the edge of her quill poised to fix it.

Ron shrugged. "How much can I possibly write about the connection between laughing charms and the imperious curse?"

Hermione glared. "A lot. Now why don't you try expanding on this paragraph regarding—"

"_Hem hem_."

I turned around as Hermione's glance landed behind me. Umbridge's toad-like face was focused on the article I was reading.

"What have you got here?"

My blood froze as I realized she wasn't focused on the book, but my forearm. The glamour spell I'd done earlier that morning had faded a bit, and the words "_property of_" were clearly visible. I swallowed.

"Nothing," I said, but my voice caught halfway through the word, and no one missed it. I cleared my throat. "Nothing." It sounded more confident this time.

"It looks as if you've cut yourself. I'm sure you know that such behavior is unacceptable in my school."

"No, I—"

"You should just show her, Kat," Hermione said.

My eyes widened, but then I realized that her hands were under that table, and her wand was pointed at me. As I muttered "_revelio_," I hoped to God that Hermione knew what she was doing. The words became larger and more spirally.

_Property of Fred Weasley_

I let out a soft sigh of relief as Umbridge frowned.

"I like tattoos," I said, "but I thought they might be against school policy, so I hid mine. Do you like it?"

"Detention." She turned away to another group of students, and I rested my head on the desk. Hermione stared hard at her report as I tugged my sleeve down.

"That was close," Ron said.

"Too close," Harry said.

We continued studying, but I couldn't keep my mind on anything. I absent-mindedly answered questions, barely doing better than Ron and Harry. Hermione still looked agitated after a surprise quiz on the five most ancient transfigurations that took place in London.

"You're not trying," she said.

I shrugged. "Sorry."

"I don't think you understand, Kat."

"Whoa. I only got two wrong. Clearly I understand something."

Her eyes narrowed. "You should try to memorize everything you can. You never know what might end up as valuable information, especially if you don't bother to learn it."

"Hermione, it's just school."

"This isn't just school! This is about," she leaned in, "_Voldemort_. Snape's lessons with you will only go so far. You've got to concentrate if you ever expect to beat him."

I sighed, opening up my transfiguration book. "_Fine_."

Despite the harsh tone, Hermione seemed satisfied with my answer. "Good. Now Ron, back to your essay…"

Night fell long before Hermione deemed our study session over, and as the trio headed back to the common room, I snuck a glance around the hall and decided to go straight to Snape's office.

"Have fun," Harry said, sarcastically.

"Oh I will," I said. "You sure you don't want to come with? Try a little mind reading?"

He glared as I stalked off. I felt a little guilty for such a low blow at Harry. By the time I got down to the dungeons, the castle was quiet. Snape swung the door open before I was able to knock, and he ushered me in, glancing around the hall.

"I wasn't followed," I said.

"That is for me to decide," he said. I sat down at his desk and he locked the door. "We must be extra careful now that Dumbledore has left the castle."

"I'm really, _really_ sorry about that—"

"It was not your fault," Snape said. "It was that imbecile, Potter." He sat across from me, shuffling parchment on his desk. "However, now that we are on the subject, _what were you thinking_?"

I bit my lip. "I was thinking, hey, a bunch of people are going to die. I should stop that from happening."

He frowned. "Do you still believe yourself capable of taking on an army alone?"

My voice was small. "I didn't think I would be facing an army."

"You thought wrong. Now sit down." I did as I was told, and Snape levitated the Pensieve to his desk.

I stood up. "No." I said.

He glared. "Why not?"

"It's just. It's private."

"Any more private than the rest of your thoughts during Occlumency lessons?"

My fists clenched. "I'll tell you. Just let me tell you."

He hesitated, then nodded, and I recounted yesterday's events for the third time. I knew better than to cut anything out, and Snape's eyes narrowed at numerous points.

"But I started taking the potion again," I said. He'd stayed silent after I finished my story, and it was unnerving. "I promise I won't do anything stupid—"

"Do you?" He frowned at me. "It seems you never believe your actions are foolish until after they occur. Until then, you think you're brave."

"Hey. I was trying—"

"To help?" He sneered at me. "You were trying to save lives? Well those few passengers may have survived, but do you really think Voldemort won't be curious as to how you figured out one of his plans?"

"They didn't have a clue," I started.

"But they stumbled onto another possibility: me. You may think your actions were noble, but don't delude yourself. They were pure selfishness, Katarina. You're acting just like _Potter_." He spit the name out like a swear word.

Blood rushed to my cheeks. "I—"

Snape stood up. "How can I trust you when you continue to disobey every rule? You're putting your life in danger when everyone else is risking their own for your well being! Why not simply write a letter telling them everything they want to know about us?"

"I'm trying to help!" I shouted.

"You're not helping! It's actions like this that will do exactly what we're trying not to."

I crossed my arms. "What do you even mean?"

"You're drawing attention to yourself. The only reason why you've survived this long without Voldemort asking for your presence is because you've done nothing extraordinary. Killing one of his most skilled followers and fending off several others, _that's_ extraordinary." He took a deep breath. "If he finds out you're a seer, you will be in grave danger."

I snorted. "I'm pretty sure I've _been_ in grave danger, Snape. I think I can handle it by by now."

He laughed. "The stupidity coming out of your mouth right now, Kat." The smile slowly faded from his face. "Right now, Voldemort wants to kill you. If he finds out you're a seer—a true seer—he'll never let you die. He'll capture you. He'll keep you locked away. He'll torture you and everyone you know in the worst ways imaginable to find out what he wants to know." Snape shook his head. "You'll beg for death."

My heart had all but stopped by the time Snape was finished.

"Pray he stays in the dark," Snape said.

I forced myself to take a few deep breaths. Then I sighed. "I—I'm sorry," I said. "It won't happen again.

Snape nodded. "Good. Now show me your arm."

Snape glared at Bella's marks, and I winced as he traced them with his wand, muttering so low that I couldn't hear what he said. Then he clicked his tongue. "She's reckless, but she knows how to leave a mark."

He tapped my arm with his wand and we both waited. The words glowed red as hot coals and began to burn. I let out a yelp as Snape quickly doused my arm with a clear potion. The pain faded slightly, but when Snape raised his wand a second time, I yanked my arm away.

"Don't you want to remove the words?"

I bit my tongue and held out my arm. Three tries later, the scars looked even worse than before. The skin around them was red and irritated, but Snape couldn't stop.

"I'm stuck with them, aren't I?" I said.

He looked away for a moment. "It certainly seems like it," he muttered.

I rolled down the sleeve of my shirt and Snape handed me a small container.

"It's a salve. It'll at least dull the pain."

"Thanks."

It was well past midnight when I returned to the Gryffindor common room, but Harry was wide-awake when the portrait swung open.

"You ok?" I said, yawning. Part of me was tired, but I anticipated nightmares, so sleep was off the table.

Harry shook his head, staring at the fire. "I had a nightmare."

I cursed. "Another one?"

He nodded.

"Harry, you can't keep doing this. These nightmares, they're not normal."

But Harry kept staring at the fire.

I sat down next to him and grabbed his shoulders. "Listen to me, Harry." Finally, he looked up at me. But his eyes weren't green; they were blood red. I jumped up, but when I blinked, they were green again. "Harry, you've got to get control. Snape's teaching you Occlumency—"

"Not anymore," Harry said. "We, we got into it a few weeks before Dumbledore left. He's a git."

My brow knit together. Of course. I just assumed that Snape or Harry would have said something when it happened.

"What happened in your nightmare?"

Harry sighed, but it came out shaky and uneven. "I was walking through a hallway. It was blue. Then it changed, and instead of orbs, I saw Voldemort. He was talking to Malfoy—Lucius—about you."

"_What_?"

He glanced at me. "They're not always real, though, right?"

I swallowed, then nodded. "Right. What did they say?"

"I couldn't pick anything out. My scar hurt really bad." He winced, and I could tell he was still in pain.

"Harry, I need you to promise me something."

"Depends."

"If you have a nightmare, or vision, that you want to act on, talk to me first. Please."

He frowned. "Why not just tell me what you think is going to happen?"

"Voldemort's going to try and trick you into leaving Hogwarts. Don't fall for it. If anything bad happens, I swear I'll help you, but don't go running off on your own."

"Like you do?"

I went upstairs without saying goodnight, because to some degree, he was right. But I couldn't admit it.

**OOO**

_**Questions? Comments? Discrepencies? **_

_**Please review! It takes a moment to do so, and I'll love you forever! **_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Hello! Here's the chapter! Hope you like!**_

**Disclaimer: Sigh.**

Chapter 28

Hermione stopped me in the common room a few days later. "Are you ready to decrease the dosage of Snape's potion?"

Something clenched in my stomach. It might have been the last bit of rational thought left in me. "What's the difference between bravery and stupidity?"

She frowned. "The definition of stupidity is—"

I put my hand up. "Hermione, you know what I mean."

"You think you can't help?"

I sunk onto the couch. "It feels like no matter what I do, I screw up. If I don't help, people die. If I help, people die." I took a shaky breath and looked up at her. "You're smart. Tell me what to do."

She sat down next to me, staring down at the book in her lap. "I think," she said after a few minutes, "I think you need to try. You helped Ron's dad. You saved those people on the train. I'm _sure_ you've done more that you either don't want to share or don't realize you've accomplished."

"But—"

"You sound like Harry," she said, smiling. She looked at me. "And I know that he'd rather die than sit around while the world turned around him."

"So I should do this?"

She nodded. "You should most definitely do this. Just not alone."

I sighed. "Let's save the world then, Yoda."

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

"Never mind."

Fred told me he was planning on leaving Hogwarts the day after Hagrid was sacked. It was raining outside, and lightning occasionally split the sky into a thousand bright pieces.

"I'm surprised you stayed this long," I said. We sat in the courtyard, a quick umbrella charm keeping us dry.

"How did you know?" Fred asked.

I smiled. "You know. The whole seer thing."

He clicked his tongue. "Right. That."

"So why did you?" I said. "Stay, I mean."

"When George and I got kicked out of quidditch, George said we should leave right then. But there was you."

A blush crept up my cheeks. "Me?"

He laughed a little. "I shocked the seer. Wicked."

I cleared my throat. "But we broke up, and—"

"It didn't change how I felt about you," he said. Then he cleared his throat. "We're leaving tonight."

For a moment I didn't say anything. Then I nodded. "Well it's only a few weeks till summer anyways, right?"

I'd been working with Harry for two weeks to clear his mind, something I was painfully aware I should have been doing all along. It was still comforting to know that Voldemort wouldn't be able to lure Harry from the castle through his dreams. Kreacher was stuck with Sirius, Sirius promised me to stay in the house, and Harry wouldn't fall for any dreams. Still, doubt nagged at my stomach, like I was missing something.

At dinner, I picked at my food as Hermione tried to study and eat at the same time.

"You decreased again this week, correct?" she muttered, not looking at me.

I sighed. "Yeah."

"No visions yet?"

"No."

She nodded. "Any day now. Just make sure—"

"I know. Clear my mind before bed. Meditate in the mornings. Don't daydream or let my thoughts wander, otherwise the vision overloads might start again. I get it. Stop nagging."

She raised an eyebrow, then went back to her book.

"You ok?" Ron said.

I sighed. I tried to concentrate on the past three hours I'd spent with Fred in the room of requirement. I closed my eyes and kept the memory at the forefront of my mind, from the warmth of his torso to the light scent of the candles around us.

_"This is wonderful," I said to him, "But I think it might be cliché."_

_He stopped kissing my collarbone and looked grimly at me. "So I should hold off on the heart shaped confetti and madrigal music?"_

_I laughed, loud, and we kissed. "I wish you would stay." I winced, regretting my words immediately. They were selfish._

_His smile faded. "Tell me to stay. I will."_

_My breath caught in my throat. The words flew to the tip of my tongue, and I knew more than anything that I wanted him to stay. It was girly and stupid, but I wanted to be near him. All the time. Every day._

_I swallowed the words and smiled. "You and George have a shop to open. I'm yours all summer."_

_"And I'll be yours, love," he said. He waved his wand and the candles went out._

"Kat?" Hermione was waving her hand in front of me.

"She's lost it," Ron said, frowning.

I shook my head, coming back to the present. "Sorry."

"Are you ok?" Harry said.

"I'm fine."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at someone behind me; Angelina took a seat at the table, staring sullenly at her plate.

"This is about Fred." Hermione didn't bother phrasing it like a question. "They're not going to break any rules, are they?"

The fireworks exploded the moment she finished her question, and the hall went into a frenzy. Everyone jumped except for Angelina, Hermione, and me. Hermione crossed her arms as Harry and Ron joined the crowd, running to follow the fireworks into the entryway. They spelled things like "Umbridge is a toad" as bright pictures spread across the sky outside.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh as she collected her books and trudged calmly out of the hall. "This close to the OWLs," she said. "Really, it's just inconsiderate."

Umbridge was screaming at the other teachers. Filch held Mrs. Norris as the cat squirmed and howled in fear. Peeves looked absolutely gleeful. I glanced at Angelina to see a few tears running down her cheeks.

"You ok?" I said, taking a seat next to her.

She scrunched up her face and shook her head. "George and I broke up," she said. "We're through."

Bright colors went up around us as I tentatively patted her on the back. Then I stood up and followed the last few students to the grounds. Fred and George flew past on their broomsticks, and Fred threw one last firework into the air.

_Fred and Kat Forever._

The letters burned for a few minutes, then fell to the ground in heart-shaped confetti. I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt, and watched the twins fly off into the horizon.

"Harry!"

I spun around at Ron's concerned voice. Harry was on the ground, convulsing as beads of sweat broke out on his brow. I ran to his other side.

"Harry?" I said. Ron held his head. "Harry!" I slapped him lightly. Then I clicked my tongue. "This isn't working. We have to get McGonagall."

"She's gone," said Neville.

My breath caught in my throat. "_What_?"

Neville nodded. "There was an accident. Or something. Everyone's heard rumors that Umbridge had something to do with it. Er."

But I'd spent the day with Fred, and I'd missed it. _Great_.

"Fine. Then get Snape!"

Neville frowned. "But—"

"_Just do it_!" I shouted. Then I licked my lips and tried to focus.

Harry sat up then, gasping for breath. "They've got him!" he shouted. "They've got him at the—"

Ron covered Harry's mouth and we pulled him up and away from the crowd. We hurried to Gryffindor tower despite Harry's protests, and sat him down on the couch.

"Alright," I said. "What did you see?"

Hermione ran down and gasped at Harry's face. "What happened?"

"He was just about to tell us," I said.

Harry sobbed a few times. "Sirius. They've got him! They've got him in the ministry!"

I sat down next to him. "No, Harry. They don't. Voldemort's trying to bait you out of the castle."

"Then it'll work," Harry said, standing up. "If they've got him—"

"But they don't!" I said, grabbing his wrist. Then I gasped, and the world fell away to a crystal clear vision.

I was in Grimmauld place, next to Sirius. He sat at the kitchen table, studying a map. A crash resounded at the front door and a death eater stormed in. Sirius looked shocked, but attacked without thinking. They dueled, and one of his spells sent the skull mask flying. It was Bellatrix.

"Hello, cousin," she said, smiling.

"Bella," he said, sending three more curses her way. They dueled for a few more minutes, but with one minute slip, Sirius flew straight to the floor with a thud. Bloody and wandless, he looked up at her.

"You can't be here. It's impossible."

She sneered. "I'm a Black. I've more of a right to this house than you do. _Blood traitor._" She sighed, brushing a stray curl from her bony face. "But you're in luck, dear cousin. You're going to meet the most powerful wizard in all of Britain tonight."

"No."

He cried out when the cruciatus curse hit him, and it didn't stop. His screams echoed out forever as Bellatrix watched, eyes aglow with something like glee.

"You'll go," she said. "And you'll behave."

Still, he screamed.

"Kat!" Someone shook me, and I realized I was in the common room, not at Grimmauld Place. The trio stared at me, and as my throat protested words, I knew I'd screamed like Sirius.

"What did you see?" Harry said.

I blinked back tears. "They've got him. They've got Sirius."

**_OOO_**

**_As you can see, this story is wrapping up. _**

**_As per comments/messages I've received, I'm ending this fanfic at the end of book 5, and picking it up at the beginning of book 6. _**

**_Questions? Comments? Complaints? That's what reviews are for. Besides a major ego boost for Moi. I really appreciate reviews :)_**

**_Also? I totally have the next chapter done, so the more you review, the quicker I update :)_**


	29. Chapter 29

_**Hey! So this is he beginning of the end, I'm afraid. I DO plan on writing a sequel. It will take place during Harry's sixth year, AU. **_

**Disclaimer: Yadda yadda yadda.**

Chapter 29

"We have to be sure," I said.

Harry threw his arms up in the air as I stood in front of the portrait. "You just had a bloody vision! What more proof do you need?"

I crossed my arms. "I need proof beyond a doubt. And I won't let you run into harm's way until I know it's necessary." That was a lie. I didn't plan on letting him run off to the ministry at all, even if Sirius _was_ being held as bait. But I wasn't going to let Harry know that.

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at my face. "Move," he said. "Move now."

I narrowed my eyes and flicked my wand. His own soared across the room. "You don't want to do that."

Harry's eyes went wide.

"Harry," Hermione said. She picked up his wand. "Harry, I think Kat's right."

Harry's bottom lip trembled. "You don't get it!" he shouted. "Voldemort only has him because of _me_!"

Hermione put a hand on his shoulder. "I know. And if he's there, then we'll save him. But we have to be sure. You know what Dumbledore said."

"Dumbledore's said nothing to me this whole year! And Dumbledore's gone!"

"But he said Voldemort could trick you, mate," Ron said, gently. "Sirius could be safe."

"But he's not!"

"What's going on?" Neville walked in, Ginny close behind him.

"Why all the yelling?" Ginny said.

"They've got him," Harry said, and his bottom lip trembled again.

I took a step forwards and grabbed Harry's wand from Hermione's hand. Then I handed it to him. "Let's make sure, Harry. That's all I'm asking."

He shook for a moment, and I thought he might yell again. Then he nodded. "Fine."

I nodded, letting a breath out that I didn't know I'd been holding. "Then let me get Snape."

Harry frowned and opened his mouth.

"He may hate you, but he's my uncle. He'll listen to me."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Since when does he listen to you?"

"I'll make him listen then." I stood up. "Just. Just please stay here. Please."

Ron cleared his throat. "We will."

Hermione hesitated, then nodded. "Come back soon."

Harry was staring at his lap as I left the portrait. I ran as fast as I could to the dungeons, heaving as I opened Snape's door. The office was empty. Distantly, I could hear the muted sounds of students' laughter and fireworks still erupting.

"Of course," I said, turning the other way. He would probably be in the middle of the fray, or with Umbridge. I sprinted upstairs to the Great Hall as the sun began to set. Sure enough, it was pure pandemonium. Teachers tried to steer students away from the fake swamp, but to no avail. Prefects aimed their wands at crude effigy fireworks of Umbridge, but the fireworks seemed as unmoving as statues.

Then I saw pink robes, and then I saw black ones. Snape and Umbridge were talking about something as Filch watched them eagerly. I hid behind a pillar and cast a small patronus. The wolf cub ran to Snape, nipping at his heals just long enough to make him look down. Before Umbridge could follow his gaze, the wolf disappeared.

Snape coughed. "Excuse me for a moment. I must address the Slytherin house, as they are all at their houses, behaving. Unlike the _rest_ of the student population."

He walked past me without looking, and I followed him.

"What now?" he asked once we made it a few corridors down.

"Harry wants to do something stupid," I said.

Snape crossed his arms. "That," he said, "does not surprise me. Nor is it anything new. I'm quite busy, so—"

"He thinks Sirius is being held at the ministry," I said.

"And why does he think that?" Snape's voice was low and neutral. He was both suspicious and cautious; I wasn't supposed to know anything more about the ministry than Harry did. Snape should have known better by now.

"He had a vision."

"So now Mr. Potter is a seer as well?"

I sighed. "You know he's been having dreams."

"His dreams are not visions—"

"Well you wouldn't know, since you haven't taught Harry a single Occlumency lesson in months!"

"Are you implying that I'm to blame for this?"

"No! But if you hadn't been a jerk to him—" I stomped my foot and tried to control my temper. "That's not the point. The point is that you need to come with me to Gryffindor."

"I'm busy, Katarina."

"Trust me," I said. "This is more important. And," I sighed. "I had a vision too."

Snape's eyes widened. "Are you still taking the potion?"

"Yes!" I wasn't lying. Technically.

He raised an eyebrow. "What did you see?"

Snape left the castle five minutes later. "I can't alert the Order from here. I'm just going to Hogsmeade."

"Ok."

"I'll be right back."

I nodded. "Good."

He frowned. "Don't do anything foolish."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm the one trying to be rational here. I'll just go make sure the boy who lived doesn't try to be the boy who dies."

Snape left with a whirl of his cloak, and I went back to Gryffindor tower.

Except that the common room was empty.

"_Shit_," I muttered, climbing the staircase to Harry and Ron's dorm. Nothing. No one. Hermione wasn't in her room, either. There was only one other place they could be, and as I broke into a jog, I hoped I was wrong.

Umbridge's office door was ajar, and I heard voices inside. One of them was far too pleased with himself. "Umbridge is going to give Potter and that Mudblood what's coming to them."

"Shut it!" Ginny.

"Piss off!" Ron said at the same time.

There was some rustling, and Draco laughed. "Like you can do anything to stop it."

Then I heard a crash. As I ran in, Ginny threw a curse at Draco. His face erupted in boils as Crabbe, Goyle, and a few other Slytherins tried and failed to duel Ron, Luna, Neville, and Ginny. Neville wrestled their wands from the Slytherins as I shut the door behind me.

"They're gone," Ginny said once she'd stupefied all the Slytherins.

I sighed. "Damn it! I asked you one thing, Ron. _One_ thing. Stay there. And what do you do? The exact freaking opposite!"

Ron narrowed his eyes. "Harry needed to know. And Snape hates Snuffles. He'd sooner let Snuffles die than let us leave school grounds. We're not bloody stupid."

_That remains to be seen_, I thought. "Well?" I said. "Is Snuffles where he should be, or was Harry right?"

His ears turned red. "We didn't really get to that part. Malfoy interrupted."

I cursed. "We need to find them."

"But they could be anywhere," Ron said.

I tapped my head.

"Ah," Luna said knowingly. "Nargles."

They followed me past Hagrid's hut to the Forbidden Forest, and I told them where to go. "If I leave you alone for three minutes, can you promise to stay on school grounds?" I said.

Ron shook his head. "No."

"Then I'll only take one." They ran off without me and I gave myself a moment to think. I didn't know what to say to convince Harry not to go after Sirius, and the only other way to keep him at Hogwarts was brute force. I sent a patronus to Snape and hoped that he would hurry. Then I took off at a sprint, only to see the Thestrals climbing up past the trees.

"Hey!" I yelled. "Come back!"

Harry either didn't hear me, or ignored me. Adrenaline coursed through my body as my frustration gave way to pure anger. I cursed for a minute or so, then looked around for Snape. He was nowhere in sight. Maybe that was for the best. I knew if he saw what I was about to do, he'd have me in detention for the rest of my life.

It wasn't easy to climb onto the Thestral, and I nearly fell as it took off in the early dusk. "This is a bad idea," I muttered, teeth chattering. There was something bone-chilling about knowing exactly what kind of life-threatining situation I was about to put myself in. Or maybe it was just the altitude. "Can you go a bit faster?" I said to the Thestral. It snorted at my comment. "Fine," I said. "As long as we get there before everything goes to hell."

My Thestral landed near the others, and I ran to the phone booth. The ministry was dead quiet, and I treaded carefully; I didn't know where the death eaters would be. I didn't know if Sirius would be here or not. I didn't know where Harry and the others were. I didn't know anything.

I paused for a moment and cleared my mind. My visions had just started again, and so far they'd been random and quick. Not helpful at all. I clenched my eyes shut in concentration. "Something," I said. "Just show me _something_." A circular room with doors filled my vision. Then nothing. "That's it?" I sighed. "I'll make it work."

The room was three floors below the main entrance. It took a few minutes to get to, and once I was there, I was lost. There was a red X on one door. Harry ran out of the one next to it, closely followed by Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna, and Ginny.

"Well that's not it," Hermione said.

"Kat!" Ginny said.

"I'm not going back," said Harry. "Not till I find Sirius. If anyone else wants to leave, I understand, but—"

I clenched my jaw. "Harry, he—"

"Not till I find Sirius!"

Ron glanced at me. "We're not leaving you, Harry."

The rest of them shook their heads.

_But it's dangerous_, I thought. I let out something between a sigh and a growl. "_Fine_. But there will be a hearty I told you so in store if we actually survive this."

"Did you have a vision?" Ron said. Hermione elbowed him.

"Ron!" I hissed.

Neville and Ginny frowned.

"Are you a seer?" Ginny said.

"That's impossible," Neville said.

Luna smiled. "Seers tend to do well with Nargles," she said. "Lucky."

"Of course I had a vision!" I shouted, ignoring Luna. "I've been trying to prevent it all year!"

"Stop yelling and tell us what you know," Hermione said, wand out. She made an X on the door they'd just come out of.

I sighed and pointed to the fourth door to the right. "This is the right one, for starters."

For all of my potential to see visions and premonitions, I wasn't prepared for the vastness of the Hall of Prophecies. Though it was pitch black, I felt like a tiny fish in an enormous ocean. Then our wands lit up, and I saw shelves upon shelves of glass orbs. Vaguely, I could make out faces moving inside of them, made of smoke and liquid.

"It's just up here," Harry said.

I stopped in my tracks, when a name my eye.

_Rose Snape._

Sure, the name felt unfamiliar, but it was my mother. My heart skipped a beat. I raised my wand and walked closer, reaching towards the orb. Instead of wrapping around it, though, my fingers hit what felt like an invisible barrier.

_Only the owner of the prophecy can retrieve it._

The words burned in my mind like a cruel prank; the prophecy was all I had left of my mother. I wondered what it had to say. Maybe it had something to do with me. I banished the thought as soon as it entered my head; it was selfish. But to know, to really know what I was supposed to be doing to help in the war, that would be invaluable. Or terrifying. Or both.

"Give me the prophecy," said a silky voice from far off.

"Where is Sirius?" Harry said. He sounded brave. I knew he was terrified, but he sounded brave.

I pulled my hand from my mother's prophecy and walked three aisles down. Death eaters surrounded Harry and the others. We were outnumbered. Very outnumbered. Lucius turned when he saw me. He smirked.

"How good of you to join us, Katarina."

**OOO**

_**I already have the next chapter written. I'll post it in a week, unless ten awesome readers leave reviews! **_

_**Things are about to go crazy, so I hope you keep reading!**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**Almost done. I think two or three chapters after this one!**_

**Disclaimer: I disclaim.**

Chapter 30

"Remember the mission, Lucius," Bella hissed. A woman stirred beside her, as I saw the blonde hair trailing down her back, I knew that Narcissa had come along. But she wasn't supposed to be here. Why had that changed?

"I'm simply greeting her, Bella." His eyes lingered on me as he spoke.

"Do you or do you not have Sirius Black?" I said.

Bella cackled. "I haven't seen my cousin in quite some time."

Bile rose up in my throat. I'd known Harry could be duped. I'd even known he probably would be. But I was a Seer. I was responsible for this mess. How did Voldemort trick _me_? When did I become so egotistic to believe that Voldemort couldn't trick me? The knowledge that he'd gotten into my head made my stomach turn.

Then I saw Harry whisper something to Ginny. Whether or not Sirius was at the ministry, we needed to get out of this mess, and soon. I cleared my throat. "So, so he's not here?" It sounded extra pathetic. _Good_.

Lucius shook his head, sneering. "We had to do something to get Potter out of that castle."

"The Dark Lord is most cunning," Bella said.

I narrowed my eyes. "You tricked a fifteen year old by threatening a loved one. That's not cunning. That's cowardice."

As I fell to the floor, I knew I would never be used to the Cruciatus curse. Pain ran through me, all types at the same time. My nails were torn off as hot pokers stabbed through my eyes. At least, that's what it felt like. And it didn't matter what type of pain, because it was all too much to handle, and I would die if I had to endure another second.

And just like that, it stopped.

Something crashed around me, and Ron grabbed my hand. "Get up," he said.

Harry grabbed my other hand. "Get up now. RUN!"

Ron supported me as I half ran, half limped after the rest of them, and we barely managed to get out of the Hall of Prophecies before we were consumed by the ghosts of seers bestowing their fate in monotone voices. The door slammed behind us and started to spin.

"Are you ok?" Ron said.

I didn't have a chance to answer as the door opened again. Masked figures poured in from the Hall of Prophecies and we scattered, yanking open the door closest to us. Ron threw all of his weight against the door as I tried to keep from tripping over myself.

"Are you ok?" he repeated, gasping.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. Then I nodded. I had to be fine. I didn't have a choice.

"Are you—"

"I'm _fine_, Ron. Let's just… keep moving."

He followed me down an aisle and I realized that an aquarium stood in the center of the room. It was filled with tentacles and brains. I frowned.

"Fred made me promise to take care of you," Ron muttered. "So try to stay alive. He'll kill me if anything happens to you."

I smiled a little. "Will do. By the way, whatever you do, stay away from that aquarium. Those things are dangerous as hell, and Fred would kill me if anything happened to you."

The door swung open and three death eaters stormed in. We broke into a run, dodging a curse. The only way out was blocked by all three death eaters, so we ducked behind a shelf.

"On three," I whispered. Ron nodded. "One. Two. Th—"

A curse nearly hit Ron right between the eyes, but even as I waved my wand, he deflected it and it went straight back at the death eater who cast it.

"One down, two to go," he muttered.

I stared for a moment, then nodded. Everyone underestimated Ron. I should have known that by now. We charged together. My curse sent one death eater bounding into the aquarium, while Ron's held the other death eater frozen, but aware.

"Nice," I said, brushing myself off.

He smiled. "You weren't too bad, yourself."

We entered the circular room for the third time and ran into another room. Hermione, Harry, and Neville faced four death eaters. They were barely able to hold their own in each duel. Ron and I intervened as one nearly cursed Neville into oblivion. I turned around just in time to see Hermione silence a death eater. His name rang somewhere in the back of my mind. _Dolohov_.

I raised my wand, but not in time to stop his curse from hitting her. She fell to the floor as Ginny stunned the last death eater.

"Hermione!" Ron reached her first, and Neville checked her pulse.

"She's alive."

"We have to move," I said. "Sirius isn't here. Let's find Luna and Ginny and get the hell out of here."

Finally, Harry nodded. "What about Hermione?"

Neville shook his head. "We can't move her. It's like he cut through her with magic."

"I'll stay with her," Ron said.

I sighed. "That's not a—"

"I'm staying." He didn't bother looking at me.

"Fine. Luna. Ginny. Now."

Harry and Neville followed me back to the main room, and we picked another door, hoping the room it led to wouldn't be filled with death eaters.

We found Luna and Ginny in the midst of a duel with another five death eaters, Lucius among them. The fact that they had survived this far was a wonder, but even when we tried to help, they had the upper hand. We managed to get two death eaters down, but Lucius sent Luna into a wall.

Then they turned to us.

Guilt swelled within me as I yanked Harry, Ginny, and Neville to run.

Harry was the last one in the room, and as he shut it, I realized that we were in the exact place we needed to avoid. The stone room was shaped like an old roman theater. At the bottom, in the center, stood an archway. It was covered by a sheer sheet. Or maybe it was just light. I couldn't be sure, but I knew one thing.

"We have to leave," I said.

Harry frowned; they had already gone down a few steps. "We don't have a choice."

"No," I said. "We have to leave this room. _Now_." Something hard poked the back of my neck, and I closed my eyes. _Too late_.

"Drop your wands!" Bella sounded gleeful as Harry's face fell.

"Shit," I muttered. Bella grabbed my arm and dragged me downstairs as Lucius, Narcissa, and three other death eaters came in.

"Now," Lucius said, as each of my friends was grabbed and held at wandpoint one by one, "Hand over the prophecy!" He brandished his wand at Harry, but Harry shook his head.

"No. There's nothing you can do to make me give it to you."

Bella smiled, removing her wand from my neck. "Is that so?"

Neville's screams cut through the air and I winced. Harry did too.

"Stop!" he shouted.

"Don't do it Harry," Neville said, gasping for breath. His face was still screwed up in a silent scream, as if he didn't believe he could feel so much pain at once. "Don't gib it to them!"

As Bella raised her wand again, I saw Harry hesitate.

"Do _not_," I muttered. "Do _not_ give him that prophecy."

Then Bella turned her wand on Ginny.

"Ok!" Harry shouted. "Leave her alone. You can have the prophecy."

I clenched my fists. "Harry! No!" I tackled Lucius before he could step forward, and chaos broke loose. Pops erupted and I knew the Order had finally arrived. I just hoped that one of them had stayed home where he belonged.

Lucius cursed me, and I rolled to dodge it. I noticed he'd dropped the wands, and I grabbed mine from the floor just in time to block another curse. I chanced a look around to see Lupin, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Sirius. My heart sank. Something smashed into my chest and I fell to the ground; the moment of hesitation had cost me dearly, and Lucius had knocked the wind out of me with a simple curse. He walked up to me, a sneer firm on his face.

"That was quite entertaining," he said, "but perhaps you need a bit more practice before you try dueling with adults." He kicked my wand away and knelt by my side. "If you want to learn from someone more experienced, I might be persuaded to help."

I tried to get my breath back as he leaned down lower. My chest felt like a semi was resting on it, concentrated in one small area. Each breath sent pain down my ribs. But I could still move my arms.

My palm collided with his nose and I rolled to grab my wand. "I have no interest in your experience," I said, disgusted. Then I stupefied him, standing to look around. "Where is that stupid mutt?"

Sirius stood dangerously close to the arch, dueling Bella and Narcissa at the same time. It seemed to happen in slow motion as the battle raged around us; Bella's curse hit him, just a simple body bind, but Sirius tripped at precisely the wrong moment.

My feet moved of their own accord, and I threw all my weight into him before his body crossed through the veil. We landed on the ground and I removed the jinx. Sirius gasped as I helped him up.

He stared at me a moment, and then to Bella and Narcissa, who were now occupied by Tonks and Ginny.

"That was you almost dying, just in case you wanted to know."

He stared a moment longer, then nodded. "Thank you."

I glared. "You should have stayed at home." Then I hugged him. "But I'm so glad you're alive."

He laughed, but stopped abruptly. I backed away to see Sirius frowning at something behind me. I turned around just as Ginny let out a distressed cry. Narcissa had cursed her, and she was trapped between the angry witch and the veil. I cursed the woman without a second thought, grabbing Ginny's wrist and dragging her out of the way.

Narcissa fell through the veil like I'd seen Sirius do in so many dreams, and I realized the hall was silent. Then someone screamed out, a wordless scream full of anguish and fury.

_Bella_.

I took a step away from her before I realized what I was doing, and she charged. Wand raised, she looked even more like a madwoman than normal. Sirius jumped between us and she threw three curses in quick succession. He fell to the ground with a thud. Bella disarmed me easily, eyes wide and manic. I pushed Ginny away from me and turned toward the first hallway I saw, hoping that someone would stop Bella.

My muscles burned as I sprinted down the corridor, dodging Bella's curses.

"Kat!" I frowned at Harry's voice. "Kat!"

"Kat!" Someone else. Lupin. "Kat! Harry! Stop!"

Panic filled me. They needed to stay in the main chamber. Too much could happen, and Bella was on a rampage. "Go back!" I screamed.

I fell as Bella caught me with a whip spell. My feet were tied together as my nose slammed against the marble, spewing blood everywhere. Bella walked up to me then, raising her wand. Air seemed to push in on my body, restricting my breath and any movement. She moved me to face her.

"That was my sister," she said, quietly. It sounded more like a hiss than anything else. A terrible, desperate hiss. "That was my sister you killed."

"How many sisters have you killed?" I wanted to say. But I couldn't draw the breath to say it, so I stayed silent.

Harry threw a curse at her, and she deflected it without taking her eyes from mine. She cursed Harry until he lie gasping in a heap. Lupin stumbled in, out of breath, and attacked Bella quickly. For a moment I thought he might have the fight, until Bella caught him in the chest with a blue charm I couldn't identify. He was frozen, eyes wide in pain.

"Don't," he gasped as she turned back to me. I felt a wave of guilt as I realized he was talking about me, not the curse on himself.

Bella looked up at him. "I'm going to kill her. But I'm going to make her beg for it first." Then she muttered a word I was truly beginning to fear. "Crucio!"

The cruciatus was beginning to gnaw at my head, like white-hot chisels attacking my skull from the inside. I clawed at my scalp until my nails drew blood, trying to make it stop.

"Please," I heard myself cry. "Please, please."

Her eyes were wide, but she stopped, a wide smile replacing her frown. "Let's give you some more tattoos, darling." She ripped off my shirt so I only had a tank top, and knelt over me. Then she turned me onto my stomach and pressed her wand to my left shoulder. It burned more than it had before, and though I tried to keep quiet, a moan of pain escaped me.

"Blood whore," she said, bile in her words. They provoked an anger in me like nothing had so far. Maybe it was anger on behalf of Sirius, or a late surge of adrenaline, but I felt defiance again.

I yanked her hair until she lost her balance and punched her in the face. When she was down, I stood and kicked her twice, hard. I grabbed her wand and mine as she started bleeding, and some part of me felt satisfied. "Crazy bitch," I muttered, standing clear of her as she tried to get up. I ran to Harry and woke him up, and left him try to free Lupin as I kept my wand aimed at Bella's head.

She turned over, pale face covered with dark red blood. Her breathing sounded like liquid, but there was no panic in her eyes, no pain. Just fury. "I will make you regret killing my sister," she breathed.

Goose bumps ran up and down my arms, but I forced out a laugh. "I seriously doubt that."

I raised my wand.

"Stop." Lucius had my wand in his hand within moments; I hadn't even heard him approach. He slashed in a downward motion and I felt flames cut through my chest. He slashed again and the flames seared in my legs. I fell to the floor and he walked towards me, slashing once more. My head exploded in pain and I let out a low moan.

"She's dead." It was just a whisper, but his words echoed in the otherwise silent hall.

I swallowed. "I—I didn't mean to—"

"She's _DEAD_!" His scream was raw, and he waved his wand again.

"Enough, Lucius."

We both looked over to see pale feet, black robes, and red eyes. My blood went cold.

"My Lord!" Bella said, kneeling on the ground in front of him. "My Lord, your presence is a most wonderful surprise!"

**_OOO_**

**_Comments? Questions? Complaints? Thanks for the ten reviews! You deliver, I deliver :) _**

**_Working on the next chapter now. _**

**_Hope you enjoyed reading!_**


	31. Chapter 31

_**Heyhey! I just wanted to thank all of the people who have consistently reviewed this story! I really appreciate the love :) Almost done!**_

**Disclaimer: Not mine. It's all JK, Baby.**

Chapter 31

Lucius' nostrils flared, but he lowered his wand. "My Lord." He bowed.

Voldemort smiled. "I must say, I did not expect this from you. I understood the girl was in your favor."

"She killed my wife."

"A most regrettable loss. Her presence will be sorely missed."

"I request to kill the girl, My Lord," Lucius said, taking a step forward.

Voldemort ignored him, looking around. Bella was still dripping blood onto the floor. I couldn't get up—the pain had become unbearable. Harry was frozen next to Lupin—Lucius must have incapacitated him somehow. Lupin's eyes were wide, but he seemed unable to speak.

"Harry Potter," Voldemort said, releasing Harry from whatever curse was on him.

Harry gasped, nearly falling over.

"I'm so glad you made it, Mr. Potter." Voldemort was far too pleased with himself.

"You tricked me," Harry said.

"It wasn't very difficult. You so enjoy being the hero, I just thought I'd give you the opportunity. Giving you two visions felt a bit heavy handed, but I had to make sure you would come."

_Two visions_? I must have intercepted the second one. I didn't have control over my power yet, after all. It made horrible sense, and I felt even guiltier; had it been Harry who'd had the vision, I never would have let him go. As if only _I_ could be trusted. As if_ I_ wouldn't make the same stupid mistakes.

Harry glanced at me, then back to Voldemort.

"Hand me the prophecy," Voldemort said. "Give it to me now."

"I don't have it," Harry said.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "Who does?"

Harry didn't smile, but there was triumph in his eyes. "No one. I dropped it."

"_Crucio_!" Harry dropped to the floor at his words, but after a moment I realized Lucius had fallen as well. My jaw dropped; I'd never seen anyone cast the curse on multiple people before. I thought it was impossible.

When it stopped, Harry lay on the floor for a moment. He eyed his wand, a few feet away from him, and Voldemort was too busy staring at Lupin.

"Who is this?" he said.

Bella glanced at Lupin. "No one of consequence, My Lord."

Voldemort nodded. "Kill him."

Bella eagerly raised her wand. I barely had time to scream before a green light emanated, and Lupin dropped, eyes open in pain and fear. My scream turned into a sob as Harry started to yell.

"Quiet," Voldemort said. With a flick of his wand, Harry was silenced. His mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. "I'll deal with you in a moment." His gaze came back to me, and a few muttered spells later, all the pain was gone. All the physical pain, at least.

I stood up, tentatively, wiping the tears from my face. New ones fell in their stead, but I managed to keep from sobbing. _Lupin is gone, _I thought_. Lupin is dead, and it's my fault. If Harry dies, it's my fault_. I had to keep him alive.

"We meet again, Katarina," Voldemort said. "Have you had enough time to reconsider my offer?"

I glanced at Lupin's body. "I would rather die a thousand times than side with you."

"My Lord," Lucius said, "Let me give the girl what she wants. _Please_."

Voldemort clicked his tongue. "Lucius, the _very_ last thing you should be doing right now is asking me for favors. Now _quiet_." He took three slow steps toward me, and I managed to only take two steps backwards. "First you kill one of my most skillful supporters. Now, you best Bella in a duel."

Bella glared. "She did not best—"

It only took one look from Voldemort to silence Bella. "And still you deny my offer. Shall I grant Lucius his request?"

"I can take him," I muttered.

Voldemort laughed. "I don't doubt it. But I very much prefer you alive. Why do you wish to stay at Hogwarts, with a grandfather who wants nothing more than to stifle your power?"

I frowned. "I'm sorry. Are you talking about the only wizard you're afraid of?"

His face went blank. "Albus Dumbledore is nothing but a mere annoyance. And he's keeping you from reaching your true potential."

"I think I'm fine with mediocrity, thanks."

He took another step towards me. This time I knew better than to move. "I can grant you any wish. Keep your loved ones safe."

My mind went to Fred, and I clenched my fists. I glanced at Lupin's body. "I could never trust you to keep your word."

He ignored me. "Or maybe there's something you want? I can give you power. I can give you immortality."

"I don't want anything from you!" I only realized I'd screamed after the fact, and I started trembling.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "So be it."

I frowned. "You're going to kill me?"

Lucius and Bella perked up. Voldemort shook his head.

I frowned harder. "You're going to let me go?"

He laughed. "No." He summoned my wand and handed it to me.

My fingers brushed his and I shivered. I couldn't duel him. I didn't have the same benefits as Harry did. I would die. For sure.

"Face Harry."

I did.

"Raise your wand."

Something terrible was about to happen. I knew it. I braced myself.

"Now kill him."

My arm dropped to my side. "No." It was the easiest answer I'd given all night.

Harry could be a disobedient brat, and he didn't listen. But he tried, and without him, there was no hope for victory. That much I was sure of.

Voldemort raised his wand and I closed my eyes, waiting for the Cruciatus curse. Then I heard a scream.

Harry writhed on the floor, shrieking in pain. Voldemort watched me carefully, waiting for me to break. I took a deep breath, trying not to shake. Then I caved.

"Stop!"

He did, smiling serenely. Of course he was serene; he had all the power. "The boy who lived is going to die tonight, Katarina. There is no one who can stop it. But you have the chance to be kind to him."

"What—what do you mean?"

"Join me, and I will let you kill him now. Defy me again, and I'll torture him until he loses his mind. It's your choice."

"Don't do it," Harry said. His voice was ragged and tired. He was fifteen. He couldn't die. Not tonight.

I thought back to my visions. How long did it take for Dumbledore to arrive? Would he even come after all that I'd changed? And how long could someone last under the Cruciatus curse? How long had Harry ever endured it?

My hesitation lasted too long, and Harry started to scream again. I looked around. Bella and Lucius only had eyes for me. Voldemort had enough power to make mine look laughable, with or without a wand. Harry was running out of time, and Lupin was dead.

I'd wanted to be a part of this world for the majority of my life, and now what? There had been nothing but death. My friends. My mother. My father. Lupin. And now I was going to watch Harry die?

No. It couldn't end like this. My throat tightened up as I tried to think of something, anything, that could help. No one was coming. No one would save us. Panic settled in, and each of Harry's cries made my stomach turn.

"Wait." My voice broke. "Wait."

Voldemort paused.

My eyes burned as blood rushed to my cheeks. "I'll do it. I'll—I'll kill him. Just don't hurt him anymore."

Harry looked up at me, mouth agape.

"I'm sorry Harry," I said, crying in earnest. "I'm sorry about Lupin. I'm sorry I failed."

He said nothing, his green eyes more on my wand than me. I pointed it at his heart and took a deep breath.

"Avada Kedavra!" I screamed.

Harry closed his eyes as the curse blurred past him and towards Bella. At the same time, I shot a disarming spell at Voldemort with my free hand. I'd been practicing wandless magic ever since the train, but I was still weak. My desperation made the curse stronger, and to my surprise, Voldemort stumbled back. But the green light fizzled out before it got within a foot of Bella, and Lucius took the opportunity to throw another painful curse at me.

My wand flew into the wall and smashed into a hundred tiny slivers as I fell to the ground. It was the same fire as before, but instead of burning in lines, it seemed to run through my veins.

Bella let out a laugh. "You call that a killing curse, do you?"

Lucius' lip pulled up in an angry sneer, wand on me.

Voldemort frowned. He didn't scream. He didn't curse me. He didn't even look upset. I was going to die.

I pushed myself up to my knees, ignoring the searing pain in my body. I knew my plan wouldn't work, but I had to fight. Still. I stood up as Voldemort walked up to me, and stuck my chin up.

"You continue to surprise me, Katarina."

"Go ahead," I said. "Kill me."

"By all means, my Lord," Lucius hissed.

"No." Voldemort's answer was barely louder than a whisper, but it gave me goose bumps.

Bella nearly stomped her foot. "But why?"

"I find her interesting." He reached up a hand, nearly touching my face. Then it fell back to his side. "There is something about you, Katarina. You will prove yourself most useful, I think." He turned to Harry. "_You_, Mr. Potter, are of no more use to me."

"No!" I screamed, throwing as strong a curse as I could muster without a wand. Voldemort deflected it easily. A blue rope emanated from Bella's wand, wrapping around me so I couldn't move. "NO!" I screamed.

Harry stood up, but even though his jaw was set, I could see his hands shaking. "Someone will stop you," he said calmly into Voldemort's red eyes.

Voldemort smiled. "I doubt it."

I struggled against the rope, but it held. Then Voldemort's wand slipped out of his grip. The world slowed down as Voldemort's face scrunched up in confusion. First he looked at me. Then Bella, then Lucius. They shook their heads. But Harry looked victorious, staring at something behind me.

"Let them go, Tom."

Voldemort sneered. "Dumbledore." It came out like a curse as Bella and Lucius fled.

The bonds around me disappeared. At the same time, a curse threw Voldemort back a few hundred feet. I dragged Harry out of the way, and we hid between two enormous fireplaces. As every window in the hall shattered and thick shards of glass zoomed our way, I knew that it wasn't over.

The fight was just beginning.

Dumbledore cast a quick spell and the shards faded into sand. Voldemort sent flames Dumbledore's way; Dumbledore dowsed them with water. A giant snake made of green light charged at Harry and me, but a shield of red blocked it at the last second. Then their spells dissipated into quick bursts of light that I could barely follow. I knew that this was pure dueling, magic without a show. It also looked much more dangerous, and one slip, one moment of hesitation could mean everything.

It was then I saw the fatigue in my grandfather's eyes. It was almost unnoticeable, but it scared me.

Still, Dumbledore seemed to have the upper hand. Finally, when he disarmed Voldemort for the second time, Voldemort disappeared. Then I remembered my what had happened, just after Harry grabbed my wrist so hard it hurt.

"Go ahead, Dumbledore!" he shouted, eyes red, pupils dilated. "Kill me now!"

Voldemort had possessed Harry.

Harry placed the tip of his wand at my temple, and I froze. "Choose now, Dumbledore," he said. "Your granddaughter or your golden boy."

"Harry," I said delicately. "Harry, I know you're in there."

He laughed again. "You think he's strong enough to fight _me_?"

"Harry, please. Listen to me."

"Harry cannot hear you!"

I felt tears press against my eyes. "You can fight him. Remember yourself. Remember your friends."

The cruciatus curse hurt, but it only lasted for a moment before Harry collapsed on the cold floor. His wand clattered to the ground as he writhed. Dumbledore yanked me away from Harry.

"Why not kill me now?" he said, half grinning, half grimacing. "Why so much hesitation?"

Dumbledore's usually bright eyes were dark and intense, but his wand remained at his side.

Harry screamed out, and I tried to go to him; Dumbledore's grip was too strong, and only after Harry crumpled did he let go.

"Harry?" I called. "_Harry_!"

His chest wasn't moving. His eyes closed, and his skin was pale as death. Then he twitched, took a few heaving breaths, and opened his eyes. "Kat? Professor Dumbledore?"

My grandfather helped Harry up, slowly. A few members of the Order trailed in, and soon the Minister followed.

"Get back to the castle," Dumbledore said. He made a portkey out of a stray flier, but Harry paused.

"What about the others?"

"Tonks has already taken them back. Wait for me in my office."

Again, Harry hesitated.

"Harry, Katarina, go. _Now_."

**OOO**

_**So? This part was, admittedly, really difficult to write. I'm not even going to claim that this story is anywhere near as good as the original, but I'm trying my best to make it a good interpretation. It's different. But still readable, I hope. No?**_

_**Note: There will most definitely be a sequel. Just so you know :)**_

_**I appreciate reviews! Please review! The more you review, the sooner I post the next chapter! Thanks!**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**Last Chapter! **_

**Disclaimer: Duh.**

Chapter 32:

We touched the paper and fell into Dumbledore's office. The morning sun was just beginning to creep past the mountaintops, and some old portraits were awake. Sitting in Dumbledore's calm, quiet office was surreal after everything that had happened. It was too much to bear.

Harry was silent.

His office looked the same as ever. But nothing was the same, and it never would be again. I sniffled.

"Don't," he said, looking straight ahead.

I frowned. "What?"

"You should have known. You should have known that the vision wasn't real. How could you be so stupid?"

"I didn't know—"

"Lupin is dead, and it's your fault!" Harry's scream made me jump.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't think—" I stood up. "I'm sorry." I left Harry in Dumbledore's office.

I had my own questions, and being furious was easier than the guilt over Lupin. I could still see his eyes, wide and scared. What was worse was knowing that I hadn't just killed Lupin; I'd ruined Tonks' life, and kept their baby from ever being born.

I covered my mouth with my hands._ I wouldn't cry. I wouldn't cry_.

When I got to Snape's office, I knocked on the door too loud. I doubted he would be asleep, but it hadn't crossed my mind that he wouldn't be in his office. After a few moments, I knew he wasn't there, so I sank to the floor, staring ahead of me. I would wait.

Sure enough, a few hours later, when the sun was blinding through the tiny window above me, I heard the whooshing of robes.

Snape paused in front of me. "Dumbledore's been looking for you."

I said nothing.

He sighed and opened his door. I stood and followed him inside, sitting on the black leather sofa in his quarters. He sat across from me on the table, and folded his hands together on his lap. I saw the dust on his cheek, the sweat on his brow. I almost didn't ask the question burning in my mind.

But I had to.

"What do you know about Mom's prophecy?"

His bottom lip tightened ever so slightly. "Only rumors."

"Do you know what it says? Did she give the prophecy?"

"Prophecies are rarely spoken by the person they're about," he said. "The prophecy probably addresses her life. Not yours."

"How are you so sure?"

"I'm not."

"Does Dumbledore know anything?"

"You'll have to ask him."

"I will." There was a pause.

"Narcissa is dead."

"I know."

"Lupin is dead."

Snape nodded. "I know."

"Harry almost died."

"I know."

"Voldemort wouldn't kill me."

Snape paused. "I gathered as much." He seemed to choose his words very carefully.

"He was going to kill Harry, but he wouldn't kill me." Again, tears fell down my face. My voice was only a little uneven, and my breathing was almost steady, but the tears were unstoppable. "_Why won't he kill me_?"

He sighed. "I'm afraid you've fallen into a much worse position than Potter."

"Does he know that I'm a seer?"

"Not to my knowledge. Not yet."

Something crept up my throat, and I couldn't breathe. "I'm scared," I said. "I'm really, _really_ scared."

He nodded, pulling me into his arms as I cried. My whole body hurt, I was responsible for two deaths, and the endangering of over a dozen other people. I had no plan, and my visions of what would happen were useless; I would need new ones, and now I had no idea if I could even trust them. I was supposed to have the upper hand, the power to change everything for the better. Instead, it seemed, I was only making things worse.

"Pardon me, Severus," Dumbledore said. He stood at the door, and Snape awkwardly stood, glaring. "I was hoping I might have a word with Katarina?"

"Of course." Snape left the room with only the smallest look back.

Dumbledore conjured an armchair and moved the table, sitting in precisely the same spot Snape had been in. He watched me for a moment, and I wiped my eyes.

"Is this the part where you tell me something wise?" I said, voice raw.

"Well if you expect it, it's bound to lose some of its effect."

My fists clenched and unclenched. "Is this some sort of joke to you? Is this funny?"

"Not at all."

"Then don't just sit there, acting all high and mighty because you know, because you don't. I _know_. I know what's going to happen! And it's not fucking funny because all I can think about is keeping people alive, and making sure that I don't mess it all up. And I can't do it. I_ can't_." My words gave way to heavy gasps.

I felt ridiculous.

I felt desperate, and tired, and so, so afraid.

"Are you finished?"

"No!" I shouted. Then a moment passed. "Yes."

"Winning this war does not rest solely on your shoulders. I hope you realize that."

"But—"

"You have been given a very, very serious ability. Even for wizards. But that does not make you entirely responsible. You're still a child—"

"Technically—"

"And though you're of age, there are people, like myself, for example, who should protect you. Last night, and most of this year, in fact, I failed you. For that, I am sorry."

I frowned.

"I shouldn't have ignored your gift, nor should I have told you to stifle it. You're more like your parents than you know." He smiled. "They never took 'no' for an answer. They never walked away from a challenge. Your mother berated Severus, once. In front of the entire school. But I digress. Last night, you simply tried to do what was right. Remus did the same. Perhaps things might have ended differently had different decisions been made, but if we let the past hold us captive, there will never be a future."

"You can't just let me off the hook that easily. He's dead. Because of me."

Dumbledore shook his head. "Remus ran into the fray just like every other member of the Order. He knew the risks he was taking then, and he knew the risk he took when he ran after you and Harry. Remus is dead because Bellatrix Lestrange killed him. Her alone, and no one else."

I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. "Is Harry ok?"

"He's in Gryffindor tower, probably not asleep. But I sincerely hope he's alright."

"Did you tell him about the prophecy?"

Dumbledore bristled a bit. "Yes."

"Did you know about my mom's prophecy?"

"I've known about it since she first began at Hogwarts."

"Do you know what it says?"

He shook his head. "I've never heard it myself."

My shoulders slumped. "Then I'll never know. They destroyed all the prophecies at the Ministry."

"What good could it have brought?" Dumbledore said.

I raised an eyebrow. "You spent this whole year guarding a prophecy, and now you're trying to tell me that they're not important?"

Dumbledore's lips might have upturned a little. "That is only because of its importance to Voldemort. He has invested time, power, and lives into it. But you know very well that just because the future has been seen, doesn't mean it has been decided."

"It still would have been nice to know," I mumbled.

Dumbledore stood up. "It would be nice to know quite a bit in this world, to be sure."

I looked up at him. "So does this mean you won't freak out if I stop taking that Seer potion blocking stuff?"

He paused. "Under two conditions. One, you must promise to continue working with your uncle."

I would have done that anyways. "Fine."

"Two, you must come back to Hogwarts next year and finish your studies."

I hesitated. Hogwarts was everything I'd ever wanted, but I was beginning to feel less and less useful inside its walls. There was so much I still had to do, and I didn't know if I could get it done with the restrictions of a student.

And could Dumbledore really stop me from not taking the potion? I chanced a look at his face. The answer blared in my mind: _yes_. Without breaking a sweat, he could.

"Fine." I was much more resigned, but Dumbledore pretended not to notice.

"Lovely," he said. "Then I'll see you later. To the hospital wing. Chop chop!"

Snape gave me a few potions and sent me up to Madam Pomfrey a short while later. I saw Hermione unconscious in her bed. Ron was next to her, barely sparing anyone a second glance. He nodded when he saw me, though. Neville's nose was broken, and Luna had a few scabs. Ginny looked tired and in shock, and next to her, Harry sat. I didn't bother saying anything to him, but once Pomfrey fixed me up, he walked over.

"I just wanted to apologize," he said to the floor. "About earlier."

I frowned. "You were right. I shouldn't have let it happen."

He shrugged. "You couldn't have stopped me. Voldemort was right. I can't _not_ be the hero. I'm an idiot."

"You're a hero, Harry. You can't fight who you are."

He shuffled his feet. "I just want you to know that I, uh, don't blame you for what happened to Lupin. Bellatrix killed him. She's the one responsible."

I opened my mouth, but Ron let out a swear.

Harry and I both turned to see Sirius storm into the room. He grabbed Harry and enveloped him into a hug. I smiled a little, sitting down on my bed.

"How is this possible?" Ginny said.

"Dumbledore had some words with the minister," he said, sitting on the bed next to Hermione's. "I'm a free man."

Harry managed a grin.

"I wanted to see how you were doing," he said to Harry. Then he looked around. "How you all were doing. You were amazing last night." He glanced at Hermione. "And how's she?" His question was directed at Ron.

"Pomfrey's trying to keep her under for a while. Snape's brewing a potion that'll help heal her faster."

Sirius nodded. "She'll pull through. Granger's tough."

Ron smiled a little.

Sirius glanced at me. "And you?"

I shrugged. "'Tis but a scratch. I'm fine."

He nodded, but something in his eyes said that he wasn't fooled.

"Kat!" Fred burst in, and my stomach fluttered; it was pathetic how easily I was distracted from the war when Fred smiled at me. He threw his arms around me, nearly crushing my ribs. It was wonderful.

He backed away just long enough to look in my eyes, and then we kissed. There was something perfect about the way his lips fit against mine, and I let myself sink into the moment. Not even Ron dared to comment.

Fred stayed until Pomfrey shooed him out that evening, promising to pick me up at Hogsmeade instead of letting me ride the express.

"I can't wait," I said, kissing him once more.

"Neither can I, love."

A few days later, Hermione was up and about. She was a little pale, and she winced whenever she laughed, but she was alive. Luna, Ginny, Neville, Ron, and Harry crowded around her bed, trying to keep the mood up with jokes and stories. I stayed for a while, but since the rest of them had packed the night before, I was behind. We were all leaving for the summer tomorrow morning, so I made my way to Gryffindor tower.

With Umbridge gone, it seemed like the spirit of Hogwarts had returned with a vengeance. Students milled about by the lake, while others laughed in the courtyard. Only one hallway sat abandoned, and even then, I could hear the laughter.

"Dumbledore!"

Draco Malfoy blocked my path, face paler than normal, fist clenched around a thick piece of parchment.

_Oh no._

I turned around, but Crabbe and Goyle were behind me. Snape wasn't taking me to get my wand for another few days, and wandless magic took too much energy; I had nothing left after the Ministry.

"Draco, I—"

"You killed her," he said. "You—" He was shaking so much that he couldn't finish his sentence.

"I didn't mean to—"

"Shut up!" His wand rose to my chest.

I put my hands up, shaking my head. "It was an accident."

"Like hell!" His chest caved in and out quickly.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Snape stormed down the hallway at record speed.

Even with a professor there, Draco could barely put down his wand. "You _will_ pay for this," he muttered.

Snape gave them all detention and extra summer homework, and dragged me away from them. "You're very good at making enemies," he said, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"I killed his mother," I said. "I never thought he'd warm up to me, but now…"

We stood in front of the portrait of the fat lady, and Snape crossed his arms. "You should, perhaps, abstain from wandering halls alone until you have the means to protect yourself."

"Oh," I said. "See, you arrived moments before my clever plan unfolded. They would have all been toast had you waited just a minute longer to intervene."

Snape did not look amused.

I cleared me throat. "Don't wander the halls. Got it."

He nodded and turned on his heel, going back the way we came.

I sat on my bed for a long while; Seeing Draco so angry was disturbing. It made me worry that killing Narcissa had sent something else in motion, though I didn't quite know what. Slowly, I began to pack my things, trying not to think about how much like Lucius Draco's face looked, or how wide Lupin's eyes had been, even after he died.

As evening fell, I took a break and slowly drifted off.

_Marble walls. Hooded figures. Skeletal masks._

_"My lord, I—"_

_"Enough!" Voldemort hissed something at Nagini, who slithered to his side._

_Snape let out a long, steadying breath. Then Nagini attacked, and he fell to the ground, twitching. Lucius and Bella, Dolohov and others watched him hungrily._

"NO!" I screamed, sitting up with a jolt. For a minute I couldn't breathe properly. I couldn't think, I couldn't see straight. Then I realized that I'd just had a vision, and it involved Snape dying even sooner than I'd thought.

"Wonderful," I muttered, forcing myself to calm down. I couldn't panic. I couldn't freak out, or overreact. I could only prepare myself and do my best to stop it.

The next morning I headed downstairs with Ron, Ginny, and Harry. Hermione would meet us at the train; Pomfrey wasn't letting her go without triple checking everything.

Snape stopped me at the entrance hall. "I understand Mr. Weasley is picking you up at the station."

I nodded. "Yep."

"You'll not be spending too much time at the Weasleys' this summer."

"But—"

"Everyone will head back to Grimmauld place," he said. "And I expect you'll spend some time at the castle as well. For practice sessions as usual."

I tried not to roll my eyes. "So I'll see you in a few days."

"Of course you will," he said. He left then, and I sighed.

I hadn't had any delusions that this summer would be all fun in the sun, but more and more it was looking to be just another few months of training and preparing for the next horrific encounter with Voldemort.

He wasn't giving up, and he certainly wasn't letting me go. So I had to be stronger. I had to be ready. I had to figure out how the hell my powers worked, and I had to use them to make sure the wrong side didn't win the war. At this point, keeping everyone alive would only be a plus.

When Fred came into sight, though, I knew I had to make sure he lived. And I forced myself to smile, to sink entirely into his embrace, because no matter how hard I tried, I didn't know how long anything in this strange, dangerous, beautiful new world would last. I didn't know when or how, but there was a sinking feeling in my stomach that the world might collapse. So I had to make each and every moment count.

_**OOO**_

_**The End!**_

_**I want to thank all of you so much for reading! I'm writing a sequel, When Worlds Collapse(the first chapter is already posted, and you can find the link on my profile), so if you enjoyed this story, definitely check it out!**_

_**If you really liked this, please let me know in the reviews! Thanks again for reading! It's been a blast writing this, and I'm so shocked that it's done (even if the series itself still has a while to go)!**_


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